Love Hina: Changing Hearts
by Tezza1502
Summary: Keitaro finally starts dating someone. Yeah, I know, you have read that a hundred times before. Give it a chance, it might grow on you. A small tale about everyone's reaction to Kei's new girlfriend. Love, angst, violence, WAFF, and some comedy...
1. Safe Harbour

LOVE HINA: CHANGING HEARTS

By: Tezza1502

Disclaimer: Ken Akamatsu owns Love Hina, amongst others. I do not. In any way whatsoever. I'm just fiddling with it on my own time, for my own pleasure. No harm done or meant.

Notes: This is my first published attempt at a Love Hina fic. I actually started reading the fics on this site before I watched the anime. And I had literally just finished watching the anime series five minutes before I sat down to write this. Now I know that there are three movies out there somewhere as well, (_'Christmas, Spring _and_ Again' _I believe), but I haven't seen them at the time of writing. Therefore, this will only deal with the 24 episodes that I have seen. Hopefully, it won't suck TOO much. May contain OOCness, mild violence, drama, angst, and occasional moments of WAFF as well. You have been warned…

-this story is set about six months after the series ended-

* * *

CHAPTER ONE: Safe harbour.

A young woman was walking through a park near her apartment block, enjoying the sunlight on her skin, when an oddly familiar whistling sound came to her ears. Turning on her heel, she attempted to zero in on which direction it was coming from, when it suddenly stopped along with the flight of one Keitaro Urashima not too far from her. Sighing in resignation at the polite argument they would undoubtedly have before the end of the afternoon, the young woman walked over to check on the status of her boyfriend.

"Hey you. What happened this time?" She enquired sympathetically as he picked himself up out of the slight crater he had created with his landing. She blushed slightly as she realised that he was wearing nothing more than the tattered remains of a bathing towel.

"Oh, uh, hi!" He smiled sheepishly at her. Noting her expression, he followed her line of sight to just below his waist. "ACK!!!" He squeaked and hunched down in embarrassment. "Tell you later."

Putting her hand to her mouth to cover the giggle threatening to erupt at his predicament, she removed her jacket and threw it at him. Mouthing a grateful _"thank you"_, he tied the arms of it around his torso and stepped over to her. "Um, how far away are we from your place?" He asked as he returned the curious stares he was getting from passers-by. While just about everyone who lives in the area could lay claim to seeing at least one of his impromptu flights across the skyline, not many have seen him land. The dispensers of 'justice' in Hinata-Sou seem to have an internal map of all the deserted areas in the surrounding county, and rarely missed them when sending Keitaro skyward.

"Not far. You can finish your, um, wash there if you want?" She replied as she took his hand and led him away. Keitaro's face warmed slightly at the appreciative look she was giving his barely-covered body, but otherwise made no comment as he allowed her to guide him to her apartment.

* * *

"I uh think I used up the last of your soap. Sorry!" He called through the door as he stepped out of the shower drying his hair. Hanging up the towel, he reached for a folded pile of his clothes on a chair next to the sink. At her suggestion, he had bought and left a few sets of outfits at her place for occasions such as this. 

"That's fine, I have some more under the sink." She assured him. "So Motoko burst into _your _bathing area suddenly. Why did she hit _you_?"

Having finished dressing, he opened the door and stepped into the room with her. "Well, I happened to be getting out of the barrel as she came in. So naturally, the towel was hiked up a bit."

Her face went red at the thought of that sight. "Oh my! And then?"

"We stared at each other for a bit, before she closed her eyes and shook her head violently. Then she screamed 'PERVERT' at me and nailed me with one of her techniques."

"Ouch! Which one?"

He scratched his head in thought. "I think it was the _'Air Cutting' _one."

"Oh! And that sent you on your way?"

"No, actually. I only went as far as the hot springs." He shrugged. "I guess she was still recovering from the sight of me mostly naked and in all my pathetic glory."

She put two fingers over his lips to shush him. "Now don't put yourself down. I won't have that kind of talk in my presence." She scolded gently.

Keitaro captured her hand in his and kissed the fingertips lightly. "Yes ma'am."

Smiling, she continued her questioning. "So if you landed in the hot springs, then…"

He returned the smile ruefully. "Remember, it's me you're talking about. Me! Hot Springs! _Me_!"

"…right." She frowned. "Naru was in there."

"Yup! She spotted me coming down and nailed me with a nice overhand punch. I didn't even lose any momentum with the change of direction. I guess that 'A' in motion and dynamics she got in the last practice test came in handy for her, huh."

_(sigh) _"Come and sit down. I'll pour us some tea while you rest." With that, she led him to the low set study table and pushed him onto one of the sitting pillows.

"Yes, ma'am." Keitaro lay back and watched the attractive form of his girlfriend sway into the kitchen. _'Definitely made the right choice! I just hope I continue to be worthy of her.'_ He thought to himself for the umpteenth time since she said had yes to him. Tucking his arms behind his head, he closed his eyes and inhaled the ambient scent of the woman who had captured his heart.

A scent that suddenly became more intense about the same time he felt a warm pressure on his hips. _'Wha?' _His eyes flew open in surprise as a curtain of chestnut hair tickled the sides of his face while she straddled his torso. Gentle hands reached down and removed his glasses. Setting them aside out of the way, she cupped his face and leant in to claim her prize. Soft lips met and parted. While it was not a deep kiss, it was passionate, adoring, and ongoing.

Once he got over the initial surprise at the boldness of her actions, Keitaro relaxed and brought his arms up. Tenderly wrapping them around her, he lightly stroked every part of her he could reach as he returned the kiss. _'I am really getting used to this. To…her. Finally!'_

In due course, she reluctantly raised her head and looked at him. Licking her lips, she began to nibble on the bottom one, as if hesitant to say what was on her mind. Finally, her face grew determined. "Kei, we need to talk. About us."

He was about to ask why, when her expression changed. As her eyelids fluttered, she mumbled _"Oh damn! Not now.",_ and slumped onto his chest in a dead faint.

Having had this happen to him before, Keitaro moved her down his body a bit and turned her head to the side so she could breathe freely. Stroking her hair absently while he waited for her to come out of it, he thought about her 'parting' statement. Being nowhere near as clueless as he used to be, the young man had a good idea what the topic would be. There were really only two things she got serious about lately.

Eventually, she stirred and propped herself up on her arms. Gathering some of her hair between his fingers, he brushed it across his own face as he waited for her to gather herself together. Determinedly ignoring the adoring look he was giving her, she started again.

"Kei, I want to tell them about us."

'_Thought so.' _he sighed. "Why?"

"Because I can no longer stand to see you being treated this way!" She fumed. "Sooner or later, one of them is going to hurt you permanently." She tried and failed to keep the pleading tone from her voice. "If they knew we were together, they might-"

"If they knew we were together, I would be accused of even more outlandish things, and you would lose your friends." Keitaro interrupted firmly. "I can live with the abuse sweetness. What I don't want is you getting hurt because of me." He stated in what he hoped was a reasonable tone.

"You don't get it, do you?" She shut her eyes tight, willing the tears not to come. "_Every time _I see you fly overhead. _Every time _you show up on my doorstep looking like you've been through a tree grinder. _Every time _you look over your shoulder in fear while we are out together, because you think you saw one of your tenants across the street." Salty drops were running down her face, dropping off her chin and spotting his shirt. "_It **hurts **me!_ Deep inside. The fear. The hiding." She sobbed. "I won't do it anymore!"

Keitaro looked up at her as she sat up and wiped the tears from her face with a sleeve. Closing his own eyes and putting an arm over his brow, he fought back his own tears as he listened to her bring her emotions back under control. While he knew she was unhappy with the current state of affairs, he had not realised just how deep her feelings went on the subject. For the first time, he began to consider the situation from her perspective.

When she looked at him again, she recognised the signs of him being in deep thought. Despite the mess her emotions were in right now, she smiled inside with relief. The hardest part about being with Keitaro is getting him to step outside a situation and consider it from another angle. Patiently, she watched and waited for him to sift through his thoughts and come to a decision as the shadows crept over the floor.

Presently, he removed the arm and smiled at her reassuringly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realise how deeply all this was affecting you." He reached out and captured her hands in his. "Please forgive me." He begged softly.

"There is nothing to forgive, my love." She raised the tangled hands to her face and rubbed them against her cheek. "You thought you were doing it for me. I can't be angry at you for that." She gave him a tired smile. "What now, then?"

"Now, I tread very carefully." He grinned in return. "First, I have a chat to aunt Haruka. She'll have a few ideas on how to go about breaking the news. Then we both have to have a talk to Shinobu privately. From what you've told me, she will take it the hardest." He frowned, still unwilling to accept the fact that the young girl has been nursing a crush on him since she arrived at Hinata-Sou.

She nodded. "Indeed. And then?"

"I double my medical insurance and start wearing body armour for the next few months." He joked.

Leaning in, she captured his mouth briefly with her own. Pulling back, she knitted her brow. "You are joking, aren't you?" She asked uncertainly.

"Mostly." He answered in an ambiguous tone.

"Oh dear! Are you sure you can't move in here?"

"Unfortunately, no. I am still the manager, despite my lack of any real authority there." He frowned for a moment. "Tell you what! After we spring the news on them, if it gets too bad I'll stay here for a night every now and again." He hesitated. "If you're okay with it, that is?"

"Sure!" She answered enthusiastically. "Just remember to bring your own rope, okay?" She teased.

"How the…" He started, and then rolled his eyes. "Tama-chan told you." He stated.

"Yup!" She giggled. "She overheard Naru telling Kitsune about it. And that was very noble of you, I might add. I'm sure Naru appreciated it, deep down."

"Yeah, yeah. Stick the boot in, why don't you." He groused.

"Kei?"

"Yeah?"

She leaned in until their noses were touching. "You won't need that here."

Keitaro gulped and began to twitch uncomfortably. "_Right_." He squeaked.

Smiling seductively, she leant over further towards his ear, crushing her chest onto his. "And with that thought, I think it's time you made your way home before it gets too late and they send out the search parties." Brushing her lips against his cheek, she stood up quickly and moved to the side so he could rise.

Grumbling about beautiful girls who tease him just for the heck of it, Keitaro grabbed his glasses and picked himself up. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he realised she was right. Preceding her to the door, he waited for her to open it so he could reluctantly leave.

"Keitaro?" He turned at the mention of his name and found himself being pushed roughly against the wall with her arms around his neck and her tongue thrusting its way into his mouth. "MMMPPH!!!"

After a few minutes of that, she released him breathlessly. "Woah!" He panted.

"I am NOT a tease, Keitaro Urashima!" She declared passionately. "I merely have not had the chance to make good on a promise." The fiery blush spreading all over her body offset her bold statement. Keitaro still got the hint, though.

"Yeah, I know. I guess all this sneaking around is getting to me as well." Drawing her in for one last kiss before he opens the door, he steps outside into the setting sun. "Are we still on for Sunday in the park?"

"Of course. See you then. Love you Keitaro."

"Love you Mutsumi." With a final wave, he started down the stairs and back to Hinata-Sou.

She watched him until he turned the corner before going back inside. _'Finally' _she giggled and danced around the tiny unit. _'Finally, we can be open about…us!' _Twirling around a few more times, she settled down and went to bed early, perchance to dream about how things will be between them now.

'_Finally!'_

* * *

Notes: Yes, I agree it was very childish of me not to mention her name until the end. Just my pathetic attempt at introducing some anticipation into an otherwise straightforward chapter. Had the idea for this whilst toiling away at work and couldn't resist posting it. Like many others, I just can't see Keitaro hooking up with Naru. Strangely enough, I haven't found many with him dating Mutsumi either. So here's my take on what might happen if he did. There is more coming, so if any of you are actually bored enough to be still reading this, by all means come back for more. I won't complain. Oh, and the rope reference is to something that happened when Keitaro and Naru had to share a hotel room once during the series. He tied himself up so she would feel safe while asleep, or some such. 

Later! T

* * *


	2. Gathering Stormclouds

LOVE HINA: CHANGING HEARTS

By: Tezza1502

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu does. If it was mine I would have made Keitaro less of a wuss, had him hook up with Motoko and boot Naru's arse out on the street long ago!

Notes: Keitaro's acting different, and the others are starting to pick up on it. Set about two weeks after the first chapter.

* * *

CHAPTER TWO: Gathering Stormclouds

"What's up with the gloomy look, Naru?" Mitsune Konno (Kitsune) enquired as the ladies of Hinata-Sou enjoyed the luxury of the hot springs one mid-week evening. Sarah McDougal was chasing Kaolla Su around the shallow end, sending random splashes over everyone. Motoko Aoyama was in her own corner doing some light meditation and getting a buzz from the sensation of the water tickling her skin. Shinobu Maehara and Haruka Urashima were huddled together away from the others, deep in conversation.

"Huh?" Naru Narusegawa glanced up from the cup of sake she had been nursing into the eyes of her best friend. "Oh, nothing." She deflected weakly.

"Right. And that's why you've been staring into that empty cup for the last few minutes like it holds the answers to life, the universe, and everything." Kitsune replied sarcastically.

"According to you, it does!" Naru snapped back.

Kitsune pouted in mock-hurt. "_Meow!_ Claws in, kitty-cat!" She smirked and flicked her nose. "Just being a concerned friend and wondering why you've been down in the dumps for the last few days, is all." She frowned slightly and seated herself beside Naru. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Nothing really. It's just…" She paused to find a way to say what was on her mind without giving her best friend the wrong idea. "Well, is it just my imagination, or has Urashima been acting slightly off lately. Not that I care, or anything." She added quickly.

Seeing the mischievous glint forming in Kitsune's eyes, Naru flicked her back. "Be serious! Have you noticed anything…out of the ordinary about the way he's been behaving lately."

Noticing the way Naru was clenching her fist under the water, Kitsune wisely decided to play along for the moment. Stroking her chin with her fingers, she prodded her memory for anything unusual.

"Hmm…other than it's been getting harder to flirt rent reductions and _sake _out of him, nothing off the top of my head. In fact, the only thing that really stands out is that he's been taking a lot longer than usual to return from his trips into the countryside." She mused.

"What trips?" Naru demanded, confused.

"You know…" Kitsune mimed a slashing motion, then an uppercut.

"Oh! Right." Naru had the decency to look slightly ashamed of herself. "Um, anything else?"

"Not really. No wait! He's been humming to himself when no-one's around." Kitsune declared.

"And how do you know that, if he's only doing it when he's alone?" Naru's left eyebrow was twitching slightly at the scenarios running through her head.

"He was doing it when he cleaned the floor in the common room, the other day. He must have thought I was passed out on the couch." Kitsune answered quickly, seeing the water around her friend starting to boil. "And I walked in on him doing it while he was cleaning the hot springs a few days earlier. He had stopped by the time you and Motoko entered after me."

"When was that?"

"Don't you remember? When you two spotted him, you both high-kicked him into the back yard."

Naru scratched her head as she cast her mind back over the past week. "Oh yeah, now I remember."

"So that was what that sound was." Motoko spoke, having made her way over silently at the mention of her name. "I recall hearing it from the changing room, but couldn't identify the source."

"GAAH!!!" The two women squealed at the sudden appearance of the young samurai behind them.

"Damnit Motoko, don't DO that!" Naru demanded as they both climbed back into their skins.

"Crap. I think she just scared me sober." Kitsune groused as she reached for another bottle.

Smirking at her friends, Motoko joined the conversation. "You are not imagining things, Naru. Urashima _has _been acting different lately. He is…_happier_." She shuddered and clutched at where her sword would normally be hanging from her side at the thought of whatever perversion would bring happiness to such a mind as the one she assumed the manager to possess.

"Y'know, I think Mo's hit the nail on the head." Kitsune commented. "He is more cheerful."

Naru thought for a moment, pulling the pieces together in her mind. "I guess that could be it." She said softly to herself.

"Yeah!" Kitsune exclaimed. Then her expression shifted to something more familiar to her friends. "So Naru, what are you two doing while you're 'studying' to put such a smile on his dial, huh?" She teased.

She got the reaction she was chasing.

"_WHAT!!!!_" Naru shrieked. "What could possibly make you think that I could have anything to do with that perverted freak!"

"Oh, just a thought." Kitsune said innocently.

"And one I think you should keep to yourself in future, Mitsune." Motoko added uneasily. "I do not think that my stomach is strong enough to swallow such an idea."

"Amen!" Naru added fervently.

"Well, it's not me." Kitsune continued mentally crossing off options, ignoring the retching sounds coming from her friends. "And if it was Shinobu we would see her smiling from orbit. Hmmm…" Frowning in thought over the mystery presented to them, she finally snapped her fingers. "A-ha! Got it!"

"Got what?" Motoko asked.

"In retrospect, it's obvious!" Kitsune mused to herself.

"As long as it's not contagious." Naru began discreetly sliding away from her.

Kitsune looked at them both. "Don't you get it?"

Motoko and Naru looked at each other and shrugged. "Nope!"

"No, I suppose neither of you two would, at that." She shook her head sadly.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Motoko demanded.

"Oh just spit it out already!" Naru commanded impatiently.

"Well, at a guess, I'd say Keitaro is in love."

Every head in the hot springs swivelled to look at Kitsune. "Say WHAT!?"

"Furthermore, from the way he's acting, it's being reciprocated." Kitsune added somewhat unhappily.

"So are you saying the dork's found someone desperate enough to be his girlfriend?" Sarah shouted as she stampeded over with Su. "Man, she must be a real bush-pig!"

"What's a bush-pig? Is it edible?" Su asked.

"If you roast it over a fire long enough." Sarah answered absently.

"And how would you know what love is, Kitsune?" Haruka asked as she and Shinobu waded over.

Kitsune '_humpf_'ed. "Just because I'm not as _old _as you, doesn't mean that I can't recognise the signs. Or not have been there, myself."

"So, who do you think it could be?" Shinobu asked in a neutral tone.

"Well, it's not any of us. And Naru would rather cut off an arm than admit something like that to _anyone_, much less the object of her affection." Kitsune pondered, paying no attention to her best friends protests to the contrary. "So I guess if he has found someone, she isn't anyone we would know."

Motoko was looking unsteady, for several reasons. "While the thought of Urashima dating is unsettling to think about at the best of times, how do we find out for sure. All this is nothing more than idle speculation at the moment."

"Tie him up and torture him until he spills his guts to us!" Sarah shouted gleefully. Everyone looked at her in shock. "Well, it works for daddy when he wants answers from smugglers." She sulked.

"I have an invention that could scan his mind." Su offered. They looked hopeful until she continued. "Unfortunately, we would have to remove his brain and dice it up first."

Everyone shuddered. "Put that one on the bottom of the list, honey." Kitsune stated firmly.

"Why don't we go with what we usually do." Naru offered.

"Follow and spy?" Motoko asked. When Naru nodded affirmative, she shrugged. "Works for me."

"I think we should leave Sempai alone." Shinobu stated firmly, surprising them all.

Kitsune recovered first. "But if he is dating a stranger, don't you want to know who's stealing him away from you?" She goaded.

The young girl gave her a cross look. "No! Besides, I'm too young for him anyway." She continued sadly. This admission really stunned all present. They all knew of her feelings for Keitaro, misguided though they are.

"Wow! Do you really mean that?" Naru asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged it off angrily. "Yes! Excuse me please." She exited the hot springs quickly, not wanting to come under further scrutiny.

They watched her go for a moment, before they all turned to Haruka. "What about you?" Motoko asked.

The older woman blew a cloud of cigarette smoke at them. "It's his life. He can live it how he wants. Count me out of your mischief." She answered before also taking her leave.

"Fine. It's up to us to track down this mystery woman and fill her in on what type of person Keitaro is." Naru stated firmly, getting nods of agreement from Motoko, Su, Sarah and Kitsune.

"Operation 'Save Damsel From Pervert' is now in operation!" They yelled together.

* * *

By Sunday, they were ready to give up their surveillance out of sheer frustration.

"Your kidding! None of you managed to stay with him when he goes out?" Naru said in disgust at the assembled women.

A chorus of "No!" came back at her.

Kitsune was shaking her head with no small amount of admiration. "I had no idea he could give us the slip so easily. We tried everything. By ourselves. In tandem. In relays. We even tried tagging him electronically!" She threw up her hands theatrically. "Nothing!"

"Su and I turned his room upside-down, looking for a clue to who she is." Sarah added. "Zip!"

"Torturing him slowly is starting to look more and more attractive." Motoko admitted.

"Yay!" Sarah cheered from beside her.

"Oh, give it a rest you two." Kitsune admonished. "Remember, anything permanent and Haruka will have _your _guts for garters!" They both paled and settled down after that.

Naru sighed loudly. "We may have to fall back on the method of last resort." She said dejectedly.

Motoko gasped. "Are you sure?"

"More to the point, will it work?" Kitsune added.

"Whatcha gonna do?" Sarah asked, confused.

"Pull his brain out and dice it up for my scanner?" Su asked excitedly.

"**NO!**" Naru shouted. "I mean we may just have to go up and ask him to his face."

"It's a long shot, but we're getting desperate." Motoko admitted. "And he will know that we are on to him, thus putting him on guard."

Naru scowled. "It can't be helped! The longer we delay, the longer he has that poor girl in his clutches."

"I think you two are getting a bit carried away with this 'evil Keitaro' stuff." Kitsune spoke up. The whole idea of following him and finding out if their theory was true had been fun at first, but Motoko and Naru were starting to buy into it a little too enthusiastically for her tastes. "Come on, dinner is almost ready. We'll sit down and ask him why he's been acting different afterwards, like reasonable adults. And not fly off at the handle if it turns out to be true." Unable to keep being this mature for long, Kitsune couldn't help herself. "Besides, it's not like anyone here has any _romantic _feelings for him, do they?" She looked at them all as she smirked.

It slowly faded from her face as she realised the older girls were looking exactly like she felt inside at the thought of losing 'their' Keitaro to some stranger. "Lets just eat." She mumbled finally.

They quickly followed her downstairs, not looking at each other. Sarah came up the rear, shaking her head. "Grown-ups are weird."

* * *

Dinner was a very subdued affair on that night. For reasons that were not explained, Shinobu had set a lavish table, even by her standards. Food was piled high everywhere. Everyone ate quietly, sneaking glances at Keitaro from time to time as he sat at the head of the table. Even Sarah was behaving herself in anticipation of seeing the dork get nailed by the others.

Keitaro fidgeted as the meal proceeded. He was well aware of the eyes on him, and it was making him anxious. Whatever was setting the tenants on edge would most likely come out after they had finished eating. Very few things were big enough to get in the way of consuming one of Shinobu's banquets. Whatever this was must have come extremely close. He checked his watch again. _'Where is she? This is cutting it too close!' _

After the food had disappeared and Shinobu began to collect up the plates for cleaning, Naru cleared her throat to begin speaking when Haruka suddenly entered with Mutsumi. Ignoring the greetings being sent her way, Mutsumi left the older woman's side and walked nervously over to Keitaro, letting let him guide her to his lap. Getting comfortable, they exchanged a reassuring smile with each other before facing the now gob smacked tenants.

"Hi guys. This may come as a bit of a surprise, but Keitaro and I have been seeing each other for about three months now."

* * *

Notes: Well, how am I doing? Strap yourselves in. It gets a bit bumpy from now on…

* * *


	3. Let Slip the Hounds of Interogation

LOVE HINA: CHANGING HEARTS

By: Tezza1502

Disclaimer: Ken Akamatsu created this. It's his! I'm just fiddling around with some letters for my own amusement. Hey, what does _this _button do?

Notes: Well, the fit has hit the shan! How will the tenants react?

CHAPTER THREE: Let Slip the Hounds of Interrogation

* * *

_Earlier…_

"So, how ya feelin' now?" Haruka enquired of the unnaturally quiet woman across the table from her.

"Better. Thank you." Mutsumi sipped her green tea nervously and looked over at the clock on the wall of the Tea House for the fifth time. Haruka noticed this and decided to comment.

"Don't worry. They won't do anything to him until after dinner is finished. We have a few minutes before we have to walk over." She smirked. "Even then, they won't be too active. I told Shinobu to go all out tonight." Mutsumi gave her an inquisitive look. "No-one moves very quickly on a full stomach, and they will be as stuffed as a thanksgiving turkey by the time that table is empty."

"Oh! Okay." Mutsumi looked doubtful. She has seen how fast the two prime dispensers of justice at Hinata-Sou can move when they put their minds to it.

"Come on. It's time." Lighting a cigarette, Haruka shut and locked the Tea House behind her as they made their way towards Hinata-sou. Climbing the stairs, they paused and listened to the sounds of plates starting to be cleared from the dinner table. "Ready?"

"No." She whimpered.

Haruka grimaced. "Come on, let's get it over with. And remember, I'll be there if things get out of hand."

Mutsumi smiled weakly at the reassurance. "Thanks." Taking one final deep breath, she pushed open the doors and walked inside.

Ignoring the others, she only had eyes for the man who had so suddenly re-entered her life, and so totally complemented her existence. Before him, she had never felt so grounded, so stable, so _alive_!

* * *

Keitaro looked at Mutsumi as she glided across the room towards him, feeling the calm dependability she projected as she came closer. Since becoming her boyfriend, he continuously felt as if several emotional chains had been dropped from his shoulders. Just being a part of her life had brought a focus, a stability, a _joy _to his heart that he had not even been aware was absent. Raising a hand, he guided her onto his lap. Exchanging nervous smiles, they both turned to the others while Haruka took up position behind them.

"Hi guys. This may come as a bit of a surprise, but Keitaro and I have been seeing each other for about three months now."

* * *

Everyone's jaws clunked onto the table at those words.

Kitsune recovered first. "Well bugger me! I thought we had covered every girl he knew. I actually forgot about you, turtle-girl." She scratched her chin absently. "Then again, we haven't seen you around here for ages, at that." _'And now we know why.' _She thought privately. _'It would have been way too hard to keep it a secret from us otherwise. I'm impressed. Who knew they could be so sneaky? '_She beamed internally. _'Finally, I'm being a positive influence on my friends!_'

Sarah was next. "Wow! The dork and the ditz hooked up. What's he got on you, watermelon girl? 'Cause there aint no way you're goin' out with him by choice." She demanded.

"SARAH! Don't say such things." Shinobu shouted at the child. "It's not like that."

"Thank you, Shinobu." Mutsumi gave her a grateful nod, which the young girl acknowledged reluctantly. Despite the fact they had taken her aside a week ago and explained the situation to her as gently as possible, it would still be a long time before she felt like being anything close to remotely civil towards the woman who had captured _her _Keitaro's heart.

"H-how long did you say?" Motoko stammered.

"Three months. Give or take a few days." Keitaro repeated, not taking his eyes off Naru. Despite the young samurai's hair-trigger temper, he knew she would not attack him without direct provocation. He was more worried about the reaction of his former unrequited love. She was the _true _wild card here.

"Y-you mean to s-say…that a-all this time…you've been s-seeing h-her…behind my back?" Naru stammered as the tears began to form.

"Huh?" Keitaro asked in surprise. "We've never been-"

"Oh Naru, please don't-" Mutsumi started.

"YOU BASTARD!!!" Screeching, she launched herself across the table at them, eyes blazing and fists flying.

Screaming in terror, Mutsumi wrapped her arms around Keitaro and tried to throw them both out of the path of her fury. As she did this, two things happened simultaneously:-

-One: Motoko snagged Naru's foot, halting her lunge.

-Two: Haruka's hand flew past Keitaro's ear and caught Naru's fist in a vice-like grip just before impact.

When they both realised they were not dead or flying through the air, Keitaro heard Mutsumi mutter "_'No-one moves very quickly on a full stomach', _my firm melons!" shakily to herself as he picked them both up off the floor. Resolving to ask her about the strange comment later, he set about addressing the current mess first.

"LET ME GO! I HAVE TO PUNISH THAT TWO-TIMING WEASEL!" Naru yelled as she tried to free herself from the firm grips on her ankle and hand.

"Not until you calm down, Naru." Haruka explained coldly. "And don't _you _let go until I tell you to, Motoko." The other girl nodded despite her ongoing shock at the situation and the events that led up to it.

"Holy crap! Naru's gone nuts!" Keitaro turned to see that Su, Sarah and Shinobu had bolted from the dining room and taken refuge behind the couch in the common room. Motioning for them to stay there until it was safer, (and, truth to be told, wondering if there was enough room for him there too) he looked back to see that Haruka had grabbed both Naru's hands and had dragged her off the table, somehow twisting her arms up behind her in the process.

"Young lady, if you keep fighting me all you will get is two broken arms." Haruka said callously into her ear. She had had enough of Naru's bi-polar attitude towards her nephew.

"Damnit Motoko, _help_! Get her _off _me!" Naru wailed, still struggling wildly. Haruka looked blandly over her shoulder to see how the Kendo girl would respond.

Motoko gulped. While she was quite adept at the Aoyama family's style, she was not prepared to find out the hard way what the older Urashima was capable of if pushed. Not without a very good reason, at least. And to her mind, this situation was not worthy of it.

Besides, next to her sister, Haruka was the scariest person she knew. _No way _she ever wanted to be on her bad side. Y'know, that place Naru was now!

Seeing her last chance at rescue withdrawing, Naru stopped fighting to free herself. Nodding, Haruka whispered into her ear. "Good girl. Now, I am going to let go of you. If you try to lunge at Keitaro or Mutsumi again, you will wake up in two days with a very sore jaw." The younger girl stiffened. "This is not a threat. It's a promise. And you _know _how we Urashima's are about promises. Do you understand?" When Naru reluctantly nodded, her arms were released. Rubbing her wrists to get the feeling back in them, she rounded on them all.

"How can you all take HIS side in this? Why are you protecting him? He betrayed me. Me!" She demanded of those assembled.

"Um, how?" Keitaro asked, honestly confused by her outburst. "We're not together. We've _never _been together. You've made that fact _very _clear in the past. What are you talking about?" He scratched the back of his head.

Naru took one step towards him with eyes narrowed and fists clenched when a cough brought her up short. Fighting the urge to see if she could get to Keitaro faster than Haruka could get to her, Naru pointed at him and spat, "Don't give me that crap! You know damn well what I'm talking about. Everyone here does."

"Um…" Kitsune raised her hand slowly from the corner of the room she had retreated to. "Not me."

"Kitsune, this is no time for one of your little games." Naru snarled.

"Actually, I think everyone here would benefit from an explanation, Naru." Haruka stated.

"Yeah, right!" She snorted. However, as she looked at the faces of her fellow tenants, she realised that she might need to defend herself after all. "Fine! That pervert," she pointed at Keitaro, "has been chasing after me since he showed up here. Following my every move, declaring his 'love' for me every chance he gets, 'accidentally' bursting in on me whenever I change or have a bath, bothering me with his inane questions whenever I try to study, and generally getting underfoot all the time. He's dragged me out against my will a few times and tried to call them dates. He's even forced me to kiss him a couple of times. All this and he was sniffing after Mutsumi at the same time?" She panted, out of breath. "And you're all wondering why I'm pissed off?"

Everyone present was stunned at Naru's highly distorted recollection of the events that had taken place at Hinata-Sou since Keitaro had come into their lives.

"Actually, yes." Motoko replied, once she recovered. While she usually did not care what fate Keitaro met at her hands, Naru had tried to injure an innocent this time. Motoko's upbringing and heritage would not allow her to stay silent on the matter. "While I dislike coming to his defence for any reason Naru, you have never encouraged Keitaro in any way in his pursuit of your affection. To be honest, you have done everything short of getting a restraining order against him to discourage him. Now you are upset that he has apparently given up and found someone else? Why? You have loudly declared several times in the past that you do not care whether he lives or dies. Why the change?" Despite her own conflicted feelings towards the manager, Motoko knew that no relationship had ever existed between the two Tokyo-U aspirants, except in Keitaro's dreams. If Naru was only deciding now to admit that he may have a chance with her, it seems that she had left it about six months too late.

"Well said, Motoko." Haruka nodded. "Yes, my nephew tried to go out with you a few times. Always acting like a perfect gentleman, I might add." Ignoring the snort of disbelief, she continued, "You've turned him down, time and again. Violently, too. So why are you upset that he has given his affection to Mutsumi? Especially since you made it quite clear the last time he asked you out all those months ago, that he had a better chance of getting a perfect score on his entrance exams than ever dating you." She knew the answer; she just wanted to see if the girl would actually admit it aloud.

"Because…um…" She cast about desperately. "What about that photo? What about our promise?"

"The one you don't remember? The one you ridiculed me for ever trying to keep, every chance you got? The one that I may have made to Mutsumi, instead of you?" Keitaro shot back. "That promise?"

"Well…I…that is…" having been backed into a corner, she lashed out wildly. "So when I was too much for you handle, you threw yourself at whoever was desperate enough to take you. Is that it?" She taunted.

**CRACK **

The sound of hand meeting jaw made everyone jump. Naru tumbled to the floor as Mutsumi slapped her hard across the face. Despite a look of regret over her reaction to Naru's words, she felt it was deserved. The girl had touched a very tender nerve. "Just because I choose to be open and friendly towards the people I meet in this life, does not make me a slut." She stated with uncommon firmness. "Keitaro fought as hard for _my _heart as he did for yours. Harder, because he had to convince me he wouldn't run back to you if you ever decided to give him a chance." Her tears were flowing freely now. "I have cared for him a long time. Even so, I would not let him court me until I could be sure he was over you. I simply did not want to be hurt like that." Walking into the arms of her boyfriend, she continued, "Just because you are afraid to let any man past the barriers of your heart, does not mean that everyone else is." Burying her face in his shirt, she added one last comment. "I love you like a sister, Naru. But I can no longer stand by and let you hurt the man I love, simply because you do not know how to cope with your emotions."

Unable to cope with all the shocks hammering her, Naru took a page out of Keitaro's book on how to deal with emotional turmoil.

She ran.

* * *

Notes: Now before any Naru fans start giving me a hard time about my portrayal of Naru, remember this is just FanFiction. Besides, every time Keitaro got close to her in the series, she belted him. True, he was a whiny, clumsy, nasal daydreamer. But then she was a whiny, anal-retentive, indecisive tease. And this strikes me as a possible reaction to him finding someone else. T

* * *


	4. Bitter Harvest

LOVE HINA: CHANGING HEARTS

By: Tezza1502

Disclaimer: In no way do I claim any ownership of the wonderful series, 'Love Hina'. However, it seems to have rather effectively claimed ownership of that portion of my brain devoted to writing!

Notes: Naru's gone off to sulk. Now, Keitaro just has to deal with the rest of the tenants.

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR: Bitter harvest

As Naru fled from the room, Mitsune's emotions caught up with her. _"Sorry love." _She whispered as she began to slump towards the floor, eyes rolling up into her head.

Catching her in time, Keitaro carried Mutsumi over to the couch. Laying her down, he sat next to her. Grabbing a cushion, he placed it under her head as she slid down onto his lap. He double-checked that she was okay as he began to gently stroke her hair. Sensing the angry auras standing in front of him, he looked up to see Motoko and Kitsune glaring down at him. Holding up a hand, he pre-empted them.

"Before you fly off the handle, hear me out for once!" He stated in a firm voice, surprising them all into complying with his request. "For starters, I am not doing anything perverted. I am just making her comfortable until she comes out of it." Looking down at his girlfriend, he smiled tenderly. "She says she likes to see me first when she wakes. I'm not going to argue." He brushed an eyebrow lightly with a thumb.

Even Haruka was amazed at the emotion he was displaying in front of them all.

"And no, I am not going up there to try and apologise, or beg for forgiveness, or try to make it right." His tone became harsh again as he spared an angry glance towards Naru's room. "I don't care if she wants to take her temper out on me. I can handle it. But when she takes a full-powered swing at Mutsumi, she crosses _way _over the line." He fumed.

"But…"

"No _'but's'_! There is no excuse for it. Can you honestly say that I have ever led her on, in any way, in all the time I've been here." He cast his gaze around the room. "ANY of you?"

"Um…" They all looked at their feet.

"In fact, isn't it fair to say that I have been giving her as much space as possible lately, without being rude about it?" The two girls standing front of him fidgeted uncomfortably.

"…I guess. " Kitsune offered weakly. "Sorry Keitaro. 'Old habits', an all that."

"Um, yeah. Me too. Sorry." Motoko bowed slightly.

"Apology accepted." Keitaro said tersely. "And…thank you, Motoko."

"For what?" The samurai looked up, confused.

"For grabbing Naru's leg as she launched herself at us. While Haruka had the situation well in hand, it means a lot that you stepped in as well." Turning to Haruka, he mouthed a thank you at her as well. She accepted it with a slight nod.

"Oh, um, well, I was only doing it for Mutsumi. Yeah, that's all." Motoko stammered unconvincingly.

Keitaro smiled faintly, as if he had been expecting that reply. "Thanks all the same."

"This isn't like either of you, Keitaro." Motoko asked, attempting to change the subject slightly. "Why are you acting so different?"

"Yeah! Why _aren't _you cowering in a corner after all that, or begging for forgiveness?" Kitsune added as the others came out from their hiding places and crowded around to hear his answer.

"If it was just me, I would be I guess." He said with a tired smile. "But, it's not just me anymore, so I can't afford to be like that."

"Huh?"

Continuing to stroke his girlfriends' hair, he thought about how to answer them. "When Naru let me know in no uncertain terms that I had zero chance with her, I admit the first thing I did was switch my affection to Mutsumi." He sighed. "It was stupid, and selfish, and pathetic, and I'm glad she turned me down straight away. Although I wasn't happy about it at the time." A small chuckle escaped him. "But, after I'd finished sulking a few days later, she sat me down and explained _why _she could not accept me that way just then." He stopped as he felt a movement from his lap. As Mutsumi awoke, she smiled up at him gently.

"Did I miss much?" She brushed a fingertip over his cheek delicately, tracing the jaw line.

"Nah. Just filling them all in on the back story." He returned the smile.

Sitting up with his assistance, she asked him how far he had gotten.

"He was going to tell us why you shot him down in flames straight after Naru did!" Sarah said cruelly, never one to pass up an opportunity to take a crack at Keitaro. Everyone groaned.

"Oh. " Looking at Keitaro, he gestured for her to take up the story if she wished. Nodding, she cleared her throat. "When Naru…did what she did, Kei came to me. I said no. And when I managed to find him again after he ran off, I told him I needed him to want me for me, and not just as replacement for Naru." Her eyes unfocused for a moment. "I had long buried my own desires towards him in support of what I had thought was right for them both." She shook the thought of all that wasted time away. "So I asked him to go home and think about why he wanted to go out with me, and not come back until he had an answer." Mutsumi looked sad at the memory of how firm she had had to be with Keitaro back then. It had not been easy to send him away from her when every part of her was screaming, _"This is your chance!"_

"A few weeks later, he came to my apartment with his answer." Everyone leaned in a bit. "He looked terrible, like he hadn't slept well for ages. I invited him in, we sat down, and over some watermelon he told me why he wanted to date me." She stopped and looked expectantly at her boyfriend.

Keitaro looked nervous. It was one thing to bare his heart to Mutsumi. It was quite another to recount the tale for the other girls. Nevertheless, he felt they needed to hear it, if only so they would understand his choice. Despite how they treat him, his tenants are an important part of his life.

"I started by telling Mutsumi about my life up until that point. I explained why I had started falling for Naru soon after I met all of you. How I had begun to let her go after finding out about her feelings for Seta. And how things seesawed back and forth between us, despite everything I tried. I told her how the promise had controlled my life, and how sick I was of trying to hold true to it." He sighed deeply. "And then I asked her to consider letting me get closer to her. Not because I wanted her to replace Naru. Not because of any childhood promise." He stopped and looked at her affectionately. "I told her that I found her to be an amazing person in her own right. We seemed to 'click' the first time we met." He frowned slightly, wanting to phrase his next words correctly. "I wanted…to get to _know _her. To spend time with her and see if there was a chance that we could work out. Not just dive into a relationship and hope for the best."

Mutsumi leant over and pecked him on the cheek lightly. "Which was exactly the answer I was waiting for!" She declared proudly.

Keitaro blushed shyly at her action. "So, we started out slowly. Studying together, just the two of us. Spending time with each other. When I could, I would come to the teahouse and sit with her on her breaks. Or just watch her work. Haruka would give us both a speculative glance every now and again, so she probably had a good idea what was happening right away." They all turned to the older Urashima, who gave them a smug look as if to say _'damn straight, and the rest of you didn't have a clue!'_

Kitsune felt particularly hard done by, as this was the kind of stuff she lived for. Imagine, an entire relationship starting right under her nose! And she missed it!!

"You and Naru actually helped, Motoko. In your own way." He gave her a sad look.

"Um, how?" She feigned confusion, despite having a good idea about what was coming next.

""Every time you or Naru punished my Keitaro. Every time you sent him flying." Mutsumi answered disapprovingly. "When he landed, if he was close enough he would come to my place." Seeing such an unhappy expression on her normally smiling face was unnerving.

"Oh." Motoko felt her stomach lurch as Mutsumi's words struck home.

"So that's it…" Kitsune snapped her fingers as awareness hit. "That's why you were taking longer to return from your flights across the city."

"Yep! As painful as they are, it was an excuse I couldn't pass up." Keitaro answered. "I could spend whole afternoons with Mutsumi without having to come up with a reason to get away from Hinata-Sou. And if anyone asked why I was gone so long, I could look them in the eye and honestly say it just took me longer to make my way back from where I landed."

"Okay, so you two started talking. And three months ago it went to the next level." Kitsune confirmed, remembering how they had announced their relationship earlier.

"Oh it took much longer than that for us to do anything other than talk with each other, Mitsune." Mutsumi countered sadly.

"What! Why?"

Mutsumi took Keitaro's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "Because for the longest time, whenever I tried to touch him he would flinch and move away from me in fear." She sniffled.

"Huh? Why would he-" Motoko fell silent as Haruka gave her a pointed look. "Ah."

"'_Ah'_ indeed, Motoko." She growled. "Where would my nephew pick up a fear of being touched by women from, I wonder."

"Were those two really that bad?" Kitsune wondered aloud.

Haruka turned on her. "Not just them. You. Sarah. Su. Even Shinobu, to a degree." She looked at the shocked expressions directed at her. "Through your actions or lack thereof, Keitaro has learnt that no matter what he does, no matter how many times he tries to explain himself, he will be punished." She gave them a disappointed look. "Did you really think that after taking all of your abuse for so long, it would have no lasting effect on him?" She demanded. None of them could quite bring themselves to look at the couple after that for a while.

Unable to stand the oppressive silence, Keitaro spoke up. "It's okay. I don't hold it against any of you. You just didn't know to relate to someone as clumsy as me moving in with you. There's no need to feel bad about it." He offered, forgiving them as easily as he always does.

Feeling even guiltier at his desire to remove their shame over the way they have treated him, they stayed silent. After letting them stew in their emotions for a bit, Mutsumi continued her tale.

"So, in answer to your question, Mitsune, it was only about a month ago that we…'moved to the next level'." She smiled at the memory of that particular picnic in the park, and how late it had been when they had finally returned to her apartment.

Keitaro coughed as his own recollections flooded his mind. "And that's all there is to the tale. Mutsumi and I are together. Other than that, nothing else has changed."

"_Like hell _nothings changed!" Kitsune declared. "You two're acting weird. _You're_ standing up for yourself and _she's _actually getting angry and slapping people!" She pointed at them in turn. "What's up with that?"

"They are taking care of each other. It's a part of being a couple. It is also a part of growing up, Kitsune. You might like to try it sometime." Haruka drawled.

Kitsune scratched under her eye with her middle finger. "Yeah, whatever."

* * *

After putting up with the questions and apologies for a bit longer, Mutsumi decided she had had enough excitement for the night and asked to be escorted home. Finding a corner, she fell into conversation with Haruka while she waited for Keitaro to finish drying the dishes with Shinobu in the kitchen. The other tenants soon drifted off to occupy their evening in their own way. Motoko and Kitsune both attempted to get into Naru's room and talk to her, but she was not having any of it.

"Ah, let her sulk for the night. We'll corner her tomorrow when she comes out for breakfast." Was Kitsune's parting comment as they gave up their efforts for the evening and retired to their rooms.

Hanging the towel up, Keitaro wandered into the common room, looking for Mutsumi. Seeing her next to the front door, he wandered over and caught the last of her conversation with his aunt.

"Do you really think she would?"

"It's possible." Haruka shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I'll deal with her."

"Okay." Mutsumi looked grateful. "Just go easy."

"How easy or hard it goes will depend entirely on her." She took a long drag on her cigarette, contemplating how the approaching night will play out.

"Ready to go?" Keitaro announced his presence.

"Yeah." Mutsumi snuggled under his arm. "Let me know what happens." She waved at Haruka, who nodded back.

"Huh?" Keitaro looked from one woman to the other questioningly.

"Tell you later. Maybe." Haruka smiled mysteriously. "Get going, you two. _Enjoy _your _night_." She winked at Mutsumi, who blushed.

"We will. Bye!" She said quickly, pushing Keitaro out the door before he could ask what was going on.

They were half way to her apartment before he brought it up again. "Um, what was that all about?"

Mutsumi did not answer straight away. She considered how to say what was on her mind, and how to put her proposal to him without freaking him out. _'If it goes right, tonight will be another big step for us.'_ She thought nervously.

Sensing he was getting fidgety about her not responding to his question, she allayed his fears. "Its okay, my love. You've done nothing wrong." She reassured him. Despite how she tried, it was hard not to feel some negative thoughts towards his housemates for what they have done to him. _'Always wondering if he's done something to insult me. Always second guessing his actions for no reason.' _

Feeling relieved, he waited for her to gather her thoughts.

"I want to ask you something. And please hear me out, Keitaro."

"Always." He smiled.

Gathering up her courage, she spoke. "I want you to spend the night at my place." Seeing him start to panic, she continued quickly. "Hear me out, _please_!" She put her arms around him to stop him bolting.

"Um, okay." He agreed nervously, ceasing his struggles.

"Thank you." She looked up at him. "Haruka and I talked about it, and she agrees with me that you are an honourable man, and that you wouldn't take advantage of me if we spent the night in the same apartment." Seeing his expression give way to surprise, she pressed on. "Don't look so shocked, Kei. I trust you, with all that I am." He almost melted inside at that.

"Right." He mumbled. "So-"

"Why now?" He nodded. "Well, she and I both thought that with Naru taking the news about us so badly, she might try and pay you a visit tonight if you stayed in your room." She grimaced at the thought.

Keitaro paled as he considered her words. "Yeah, your right. I hadn't thought of that. Who knows what she would do." His head filled with images of past beatings, and how much worse she could inflict if suitably motivated. _'And boy, did I give her motivation tonight!' _He shuddered.

Seeing him form his own conclusions, she pressed on. "So with that in mind, will you consider staying with me tonight?"

"Can we keep walking?" He asked. Nodding, she released him and they continued on their way, hand in hand. Allowing her to guide him, Keitaro considered her request. From a practical viewpoint, it made sense. To his mind, it was far too dangerous for him to stay at Hinata-Sou tonight. At least until Naru calmed down. But at the same time, this was a big step for them both. While the idea had Haruka's approval, it might just fan the flames ignited against them tonight. "Are you sure? This might set the others off again." He asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." She replied without any doubt. "To be honest, I don't care if the others dissaprove. All I care about in this is you. And once Haruka explains the reasons why to them tomorrow at breakfast, I'm sure it will all be alright." Mutsumi stated with utmost confidence.

Fear at pissing off the others fought against the desire to spend the night with his girlfriend in Keitaro's mind. Short-term self-preservation tipped the decision in Mutsumi's favour. "Okay." He said, hoping this would not come back and bite him on the ass. _'Ah, who am I kidding. It always comes back to bite me on the ass. May as well enjoy it while it lasts.' _He sighed in defeat.

Mutsumi gave him the widest smile and clapped her hands together. "Wonderful!" Tucking herself back under his arm, they proceeded on to her place in a comfortable silence, Keitaro wondering what he was letting himself in for tonight, and Mutsumi planning how to get him to relax enough to enjoy himself. Some of her ideas were quite naughty!

And at the back of her mind was relief that Keitaro had thought Naru would only want revenge on him.

* * *

Notes: some of you have asked how many chapters there will be. Nine, at first. Maybe more later as inspiration strikes me. Next up, Naru's reaction! T

* * *


	5. Changing Heart

LOVE HINA: CHANGING HEARTS

By: Tezza1502

Disclaimer: 'Love Hina' is the property of Ken Akamatsu. If he ever has issue with my little tale of 'what if?', it will be removed without a fight. I'm more of a lover than a fighter, anyway.

Notes: So what was happening while Keitaro and Mutsumi were settling in for the night at her place…?

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE: Changing Heart.

Naru opened the door of her room silently. Padding carefully down the stairs to avoid squeaky floorboards, she made her approach to the room directly below hers.

The way into this particular room used to be a lot simpler. Just a matter of moving a couple of bits of flooring and dropping through a rough hole in the ceiling. But after the last time the room's occupant tried asking her out, and her cruel refusal, he had replaced the hole with solid wood and fine workmanship. That informal link between them no longer existed. It was an accurate metaphor for where their personal relationship had been ever since.

Reaching his door, she took a steading breath and opened it without knocking. Peering into the darkened room, she spied a shape sitting on the sleeping futon.

"Come in. I've been waiting for you." It said in a whispery voice. Naru swallowed and entered the room. Walking over to the person, she stood there silently, awaiting further instruction.

"Sit here." The shape said, patting the mattress. Naru did as she was told. "Good girl. Now, tell me why you are in Keitaro's room this late at night."

She gulped. "I just…I just wanted to talk to him, Haruka. That's all."

"M-hm." The older woman nodded. "And you're wearing _only _that nightshirt to what, show him your good intentions?" She cocked an eyebrow in dry amusement at the girls unsubtle attempt to win back 'her' Keitaro's affection.

"N-no! I just…I wanted…to…" Unable to contain the conflicting emotions battling for supremacy inside her, Naru broke down in tears.

Haruka waited until she had cried herself out for the time being, and then asked her question again. "Why are you here? What did you hope to accomplish tonight by coming in here?"

Fiddling with the hem of the shirt, Naru could not meet her eyes. "I-I don't know. To let him know how I feel? To find out if this is real? To knock some sense into him? _I don't know_, Haruka." She wailed.

Haruka wished she could light up in here, but Keitaro would ask too many awkward questions if he smelt cigarette smoke in his room. She did not want him knowing this conversation had taken place any time soon. "In order of asking; your way too late to tell him how you feel now, it's very real, and haven't you knocked him around enough since he started living here?"

Unable to come up with a reply to any of that, Naru asked something else. "Um, where is Keitaro?"

"Spending the night at Mutsumi's." Haruka gave Naru a hard stare as she started to get her mad on. "I figured you would try something like this tonight, so I told her she had my permission to keep my nephew at her place for the night. Or until you calm down and start thinking with your head instead of your hormones." She smirked evilly. "However long _that _takes."

"But…"

"No but's, young lady." Haruka said harshly. "If he'd been here, you would have tried to seduce him, his relationship with Mutsumi be damned. And if, no _when _he refused you, you would have beaten him to a bloody pulp for it." Naru attempted to challenge that allegation, but was stared down. "_Don't try to deny it! _Every time he's showed an interest in someone else, you've gotten all pissy and lavished attention on him until his focus came back to you. And when it does, the situation slips back into the normal pattern."

Once again, Naru was unable to deny the truth of the older Urashima's words.

"Well, it seems even the thickest person learns eventually. You've finally hurt him one too many times, and now he's found someone who won't hit him for every little thing that goes wrong around him."

"Yeah, Mutsumi must have been overjoyed when he landed on her doorstep." She spat venomously. "Probably tripped him over as soon as he walked into her room and beat him to the mattress."

**WHAP! **Haruka smacked her over the head with a fan.

"OW! What was that for?" Naru demanded, clutching her injury protectively.

"If you had bothered to act like an _adult _and stick around earlier, you would have heard about the hoops she made him jump through before she would even consider dating him." Haruka replaced the fan in its hiding place while scowling at the younger girl. "She knew how he felt about you, and she knew how you felt about him. There was no way she was going to step in between you two. She cared about your happiness too much to even consider it. Keitaro had to _prove _to her that his intentions were honourable, that she wasn't just 'the rebound girl'. At that, it was only just last month they started doing anything more than sitting and talking with each other." Haruka grinned slightly at the emotions that flitted across the other girls face. It faded as she thought about the point she was still to make.

"Naru? I want you to listen to me very carefully." The first-time _ronin _faced her. "Keitaro and Mutsumi are together now. The only reason you want him is because someone else has him. Please, for all our sakes, let him go." She pleaded. "The harmony of Hinata-Sou is unbalanced enough as it is. If you and Mutsumi get into a tug-of-war over Keitaro, the conflict will destroy all three of you. To say nothing of how it will affect the others."

Naru stayed silent for a bit, mulling over her options. "But what about me? What about what I want?" She finally asked, pouting.

"You had over a year to decide if you wanted my nephew or not." Haruka replied. "He is not a piece of furniture, that you can walk away from and come back for when it's on sale! He's a human being, with his own needs and desires." Haruka sighed. Despite her lack of sympathy for the situation the younger woman had gotten herself into, the older Urashima did feel some miniscule amount of empathy for Naru. While not the same, the whole affair bore an uncanny similarity to the way Seta used to bounce back and forth between her and her best friend, back in the day. _'At least my nephew had the balls to finally make a decision!' _She grunted to herself.

Fumbling around blindly with her hand, Naru grabbed the first thing she felt. Which turned out to be Keitaro's sleeping pillow. If she realised this, she gave no sign. Clutching it to herself, she brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs. Curling up around the pillow, she rested her chin on it and let her tears flow again while staring into nothing. Presently, she began talking again softly. Haruka stayed silent and let the girl vent.

"It's funny. _(sniffle)_ When I think about it, I should have realised something was not right when Keitaro repaired the opening between our rooms. The fact that he actually took such a step should have been a sign the size of a billboard." She laughed humourlessly. "I came back from the cram-school to find it gone. I was ready to charge down there and beat him senseless for entering my room without permission when Kitsune tackled me in the hallway and dragged me back inside. She explained that he had stayed home that day specifically to seal it up before I returned and asked her to accompany him. She agreed when he told her why. He wanted her as a witness to prove he had done nothing 'perverted' while in my room." She chuckled again, mirthlessly. "I later found out that he had actually blackmailed her into telling me. If she didn't do it in such a way that he escaped injury, and the hotel wasn't damaged, she would find all medical and repair bills added to her next months rent. Needless to say, she did an exemplary job of convincing me not to belt him!"

Wiping her nose on the pillow, she continued, "After that, he began keeping his distance. Nothing impolite, or anything. He just…stopped being around me. In fact, he stopped doing a lot of the things that so annoyed us all. He began knocking before he entered a room, or the hot springs. He took a breath before answering a question. He minded where he put his feet. And his hands." Another dry chuckle escaped her. "He started behaving the way we wanted him to."

"That must have made you and Motoko very pleased." Haruka posed dryly. "Keitaro was finally learning the lessons you two had worked so hard to 'instil' in him."

"I guess…" She shrugged. "I should have been wondering why. Instead, I just thanked whatever gods were responsible and retreated further into my books. Since he was no longer in my face all the time, he faded into the background." Naru chuckled bitterly. "At the same time, he was no longer presenting me with a ready excuse to…" She cut herself off diplomatically, realising that Haruka was probably not in the mood to hear verbal confirmation that her nephew was occasionally nothing more than a convenient way for Naru to relieve stress.

As usual, Keitaro's aunt was one step ahead. "That must have been _so _frustrating for the both of you." Haruka drawled sarcastically. "You and Motoko finally got him trained the way you wanted, but in doing so lost your excuses for attacking him so frequently." The older woman sneered. "_Pathetic! _At least Motoko had the sense to channel her pent up hyper-aggression into her training. You just let it build, waiting for a situation to present itself so you could let it all out on him."

Naru looked horrified. "NO! It's… I… that's not it at all!"

"Uh-huh. Really." Haruka raised an eyebrow. "So that ridiculous outburst earlier tonight _wasn't _your true feelings about my nephew?"

"I…" Caught once again in the long-fought battle between her conflicting emotions towards Keitaro, Naru was unable to do anything more than mentally flop about like a fish out of water.

"Thought so." Haruka shook her head in disappointment. "Well, I'm telling you that I will no longer tolerate any violence towards him or Mutsumi from now on. You don't like the fact that they are involved with each other? Fine! That's your choice. But there will NOT be a repeat of your behaviour at the dinner table." She stared long and hard at the girl as she said this. "If there is, you will no longer be welcome here at Hinata-Sou. Am I clear?"

The threat of eviction got her tongue working. "You can't do that! You don't have the authority!" Naru asserted, distraught at the thought of being kicked out of the place she considers home.

Haruka gave her a shrewd look. "Your right. _I_ don't. But Keitaro does. And Granny Hina _certainly _does!" She paused to let her words sink in. "How long do you think my nephew would put up with you living here if you continue to attack him and Mutsumi? And how do you think his grandmother would react to her favourite grandson being beaten by someone she invited into her house? Especially after the ways she has helped you in the past." The older Urashima watched Naru's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates at the realisation of where the consequences of her actions could lead her. _'Good!' _She nodded, satisfied at the girls reaction. _'You're finally starting to think beyond your own selfish desires.' _Getting to her feet, she silently padded over to the door and opened it suddenly. Kitsune fell in to the room in a heap.

"Um, hi." The Fox said weakly from her position on the floor. Haruka smiled to show that she had been expecting her to do something like this. Turning back to Naru, the smile faded. "Naru? I want you to really think about your actions tonight. Specifically, I want you to think about where pursuing this misguided vengeance against those two will ultimately lead you. And I mean beyond getting evicted from Hinata-Sou." Standing in the doorway, she indicated to Kitsune to go over and gather up a shell-shocked Naru.

Picking herself up off the floor, the fox went to the girl and helped her to her feet. As they passed Haruka, she put a hand on the troubled girl's shoulder. Looking her in the eye, she spoke her last words on the subject for the night. And, she hoped, forever.

"I trust that we won't need to have a conversation like this again."

Naru nodded slowly before being led away to her room by a grumbling Kitsune. Once they were out of sight, Haruka let out a long sigh while rubbing her temples with her fingers. _'I need a cigarette!' _

* * *

Notes: That was a toughie to type! This chapter might appear to be something of a repeat, but I felt Naru had to have the fact that things have changed hit home a bit more. Remember, she walked out before a lot of dialogue. And while I think that her room is right next to his, I had Kitsune perched outside Keitaro's door purely as a plot device to tie that damn conversation off and get Naru out of there. I really am trying to keep these chapters under three thousand words. It's not easy. My fingers keep typing when my mind is screaming at them to stop! Next up, the morning after. T

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	6. The Morning After the Night Before P1

LOVE HINA: CHANGING HEARTS

By: Tezza1502

Disclaimer: this anime and its inherent insanity belong to Ken Akamatsu. Not me. I'm just renting a room nearby for a few chapters.

Notes: Reaction time. Very slight lime content. I think. Keitaro and Mutsumi get close in a suggestive manner, anyway. Just so you know, dear readers.

* * *

CHAPTER SIX: The Morning After the Night Before. (P1) 

When dawn arrived at Hinata-Sou, none of the tenants had slept anywhere near enough to recharge their batteries. Especially after the bombshells dropped in their collective lap yesterday.

Naru, as we have seen, had plenty to think about.

Motoko spent a great deal of time wondering if she was capable of modifying her contemptuous attitude towards their _Kanrinin_. Despite her ingrained opinion of males as a gender, even a blind person could see the obvious affection flowing between Keitaro and Mutsumi. Their Ki was surging back and forth like a tide between them, shoring up their weaknesses and reinforcing their strengths. It was recent, and still fragile. But to those who had the sight, it was blindingly obvious. Sleep had claimed her only after she had resolved to step back and monitor the relationship closely. After the appropriate warnings had been delivered to Keitaro at sword point, of course.

Shinobu continued to dream restlessly of what could have been if only she was a few years older.

Kitsune also did not sleep much. After tucking Naru in to bed, she spent a further few hours reviewing as much as she could remember of the new couple's behaviour over the time-frame they had mentioned, sifting for the clues she had missed first time around, and wondering just how the hell _she _of all people could have overlooked it. Taking into account how much she prided herself on being aware of the people around her, especially the secrets they tried to hide, she was understandably miffed! All she could come up with was the fact that she had considered it so implausible that either of them could pull something like this off, it was simply dismissed as an option. _'Ah well, I underestimated them both. Especially him! Won't do that again.' _She smirked to herself in the dark. _'Nothing else for it! Time to play catch-up and see how the rules have shifted.'_ Her smile widened as she thought about how interesting it was going to be around here in the near future.

Sarah wondered if the ditz would let her continue to use the dork as her personal stress ball.

Su, of all of them, got the most sleep simply because she could not see any reason for worry. As long as Mutsumi did not begin to take up _all _of his time, or draw him away from them, where was the problem?

Not surprisingly, that last thought was somewhere in the minds of all the girls.

And so, morning finally came. Daily routines were performed in a subdued manner, and eventually they all found themselves seated at the breakfast table being stared at.

"'Wassup, Haruka?" Kitsune enquired as she sat down.

She looked at them all in the eye. "I've come over this morning to explain where Keitaro has spent the night, and why." She closed her eyes and waited patiently as they processed that.

"He's not here?" Shinobu got out first by a hairs breath. Haruka shook her head.

"No. He spent the night with Mutsumi." She leant back in the chair to watch the various reactions to her carefully worded sentence. Hey, a girls got to grab her fun where she can!

Most were predictable. Motoko leapt to her feet dramatically and clutched her sword as her eyes darted about the room, looking for a convenient target to strike in her indignation at the thought of some…some…_male_ despoiling the delicate flower of womanhood that was Mutsumi Otohime. Alas, her preferred target was not here at the moment. And that was the problem.

Shinobu gasped again and almost dropped the plate of food she was carrying.

Sarah's jaw dropped in shock before giving Naru a sly look and stating loudly, "The dorks getting lucky?!" She had no idea what 'getting lucky' meant at her age, only that saying things like that sent Naru nuts. Which meant trouble for Keitaro, eventually.

Su, eyeing off the plate of food coming towards her, ignored the entire conversation.

"Are you saying that last night, Mutsumi…and Keitaro…?" Motoko shuddered, refusing to finish the sentence.

"What I'm _saying_, Motoko, is that my nephew stayed at Mutsumi's unit last night. You know, the one with _two_ bedrooms." Haruka arched an eyebrow.

"Ah!" Her anger deflating in the face of Haruka's faux-curious look, she sat back down.

"Why? What were you thinking about? Hmm?" Haruka enquired, sounding genuinely interested.

"Oh, I, um, never mind! " Motoko went bright scarlet at where her thoughts had been heading. Desperately trying to get the focus of the conversation away from her, the young samurai suddenly realised that two opinions had not been voiced yet. "Naru? Kitsune? Why aren't you two saying anything about Keitaro's lecherous behaviour?" She demanded.

"Because they already know." Haruka answered for them.

The other tenants all turned and looked at them both. "Huh?"

"Naru and I had a chat about the new couple, last night. Kitsune, being Kitsune, eavesdropped on the conversation. " The older Urashima explained as Naru's shoulders slumped a bit lower while she let out a large sigh. Kitsune looked at her best friend sympathetically but made no move to comfort her.

"Oh."

"Indeed." Haruka made a face. "And while I don't ordinarily like to get involved with the goings on up here, I will ask you lot to try and give the both of them a break from your usual antics. What they have is still new, and I'm sure that _none _of you would like to gain a reputation as a relationship destroyer." Making eye contact with all the girls at the table while she spoke, Haruka had little hope that the people she was really talking to with that statement would listen. She was mainly trying to give the new couple a few weeks grace to cement their relationship before things got interesting.

After listening to the mumbled denials for a minute, she nodded. "Good. I have to get back to the tea-house now, but I'll drop in later tonight to see how everything's going." She said over her shoulder as she exited the kitchen, reaching for a cigarette as she went.

Silence hung like a blanket over the tenants, only to be broken by a _'humph!' _from Motoko.

"I still think it's improper for them to be spending the night together without a chaperone. Who knows _what _that pervert could try all alone with her." The young samurai scowled to herself.

Kitsune decided that since Kei was off-limits for the time being, she was going to have some fun with the others instead. Starting with Motoko. "Absolutely! Mutsumi needs all the protection she can get from him. Maybe you should take her place in his bed." She argued slyly. "Just in case he tries something _naughty_."

Motoko, still caught up in her own thoughts, answered absently. "Yes, perhaps that would be best." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, her brain caught up with the rest of her body. "WHAT DID YOU SAY!!!!"

Kitsune smirked as the others gasped at Motoko's admission. "Just making a suggestion. More to the point, what did _you _say!"

Going beetroot red, she growled at Kitsune. "What… I didn't… Damnit, you tricked me into saying that!" She protested, clutching for her sword.

Expecting this reaction, Kitsune deployed her escape plan. "Oh look at the time! You don't want to be late for school now, do you?" She declared loudly, her eyes flicking towards the wall clock.

As expected, the threat of being tardy realigned the other girls focus. Motoko dashed from the room, closely followed by Su, Sarah and Shinobu. Smirking, Kitsune relaxed and began picking at the leftovers in front of her.

"You know Motoko will get you for that, eventually." Naru said softly.

"Maybe. We'll see." Kitsune gave her friend a curious look. "Are you giving cram-school a miss today?"

Drawing in a shuddering breath, Naru glanced at her with bloodshot eyes. "As much as I'd like to… no. Besides, I don't want to be here when _he _gets back." Kitsune nodded sympathetically. "I… I don't want to be near him right now."

"You gonna go home for a bit?" Kitsune put forward cautiously.

"…maybe. We'll see." Naru banged her forehead on the table in frustration over the whole situation. "_Argh!_" Smacking her head a few more times to numb whatever thoughts were going through her skull, she got up finally and made her way upstairs to get ready for the rest of the day. Kitsune watched her go silently, last night's conversation between her best friend and Haruka running through her head.

'_Oh Naru, don't do anything stupid. Please!'_

* * *

Lying comfortably in the spare bed at Mutsumi's place, Keitaro drifted towards wakefulness at an unhurried pace, letting images from the previous night percolate along the edges of his mind. After their talk, they arrived at Mutsumi's quickly. She had barely let him get his shoes off before leading him to her bed for an epic make-out session that had lasted well into the early hours. He had finally extricated himself from her embrace and crawled into the other room after promising to let her snuggle in the morning. Despite her at times inhuman reservoirs of patience, he could feel Mutsumi getting frustrated at his avoidance of serious physical intimacy.

' _**(sigh) **I know I shouldn't keep pulling away like that, but old habits are hard to break.' _

They both knew the reasons for his reluctance, but he could tell she was fast approaching the limits of her tolerance for his stalling.

His internal musings were interrupted by the door opening. Peeking through his eyelids, he saw his girlfriend framed by the morning light in the doorway wearing nothing but one of his over-sized button-up shirts. "Kei-kun? You awake yet?" She enquired softly.

He nodded and smiled. Returning the smile, Mutsumi sauntered over to the foot of the bed and began crawling up over his legs. Keitaro flushed red when he noticed that not many of the buttons were done up, affording him an interesting view as she climbed towards him. And what a view! While he has caught the occasional glimpse of her naked body in the past, his girlfriend was not usually quite this overt. Every part of her was swaying, from her hair to her toes.

"See something you like, Kei-kun?" She giggled. When he tried to look away and stammer an apology, she stopped her progress and scowled at him. "Is there something wrong with my body?"

"No! " Keitaro replied, offended at the thought.

"Then there's no need for you to look away." She retorted. Holding eye contact, she continued in a steady voice; "Keitaro, I want you to enjoy seeing me. Because it's all for you. No one else. And I'm not going to hit you for looking. You're my boyfriend. I trust you, and I want to share _everything _with you. Someday." The sparkle in her eyes dimmed a little. "It hurts to think that you believe I will react like those two. I _won't_!" She pouted, settling herself onto his chest with her bare torso between his legs. She tucked her head under his chin and listened to his fluttering heartbeat. "I want to be so much closer to you than we have been, Kei-kun. I'm almost ready for it."

Both her words and her actions were sending his senses into overload. "Wha-what are you doing?" He croaked out as Mutsumi squirmed around a bit, trying to get comfortable.

"Snuggling." She replied simply, resting her arms lightly along his ribs. She continued to writhe slightly, the warm flesh of her belly radiating heat through the thin cotton of his boxers. As she felt him become aroused between them, she began to purr lightly.

When he calmed down enough to notice this, Keitaro finally realised that she was doing this to him deliberately. This flash of insight even lasted long enough for him to intuit why. _'She wants me to get used to her like this. She's showing me I can have this reaction to her without worrying whether or not she will suddenly change her mind and deck me.' _Calming down, Keitaro began to enjoy the sensations she was causing within him. Wrapping his arms around her, he began to gently stroke her hair.

'_Much better!' _Mutsumi thought as she listened to his heart calm down. She even snickered as Keitaro gave a small grunt of disappointment when she ceased her movements against him. _'Don't fret, Kei-kun. There is so much more I want to do with you. Our time will come.'_ She thought contentedly, stretching out this quiet moment together before they needed to get up. The rest of the day could wait for a while.

* * *

Notes: I've cut this chapter in half. Part two will appear shortly. BTW, are there any guidelines on what this site will allow in the way of how far you can go with lime/lemon scenes?

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	7. The Morning After the Night Before P2

LOVE HINA: CHANGING HEARTS

By: Tezza1502

Disclaimer: 'Love Hina' and its inhabitants belong to Ken Akamatsu. Me? I just write pithy little AU's that occasionally find an audience.

Notes: The last chapter was getting a bit over my self-imposed word limit, so I took the scissors to it. And have no fear, this fic will not feature a lemon anywhere. I was just curious about how far you can push it. Anyone who has read my other stuff will know that I generally don't go that far. (Small dash of lemon with a LOT of soda!) Thank you for caring enough about my story to voice you opinions, though.

* * *

CHAPTER SEVEN: The Morning After the Night Before. (P2)

After escorting Mutsumi to her job at his aunties' teahouse, he dawdled for a while, distracting both of them from their work. When Keitaro noticed Haruka reaching for her fan, he took the hint. Cornering his girlfriend in a quiet spot for a kiss, he made his exit and began the long climb up the stairs to Hinata-Sou. Knowing the timetables of the residents intimately, the only person who should be up there right now was Kitsune. Which was why he had waited until a Sunday night to tell them all. He did not want to have to deal with them over a weekend, when there would be no escape from their hounding. This way, the younger tenants had school to go to, and Naru had cram school.

Sneaky? Yes. Cowardly? Maybe. But it gave them all some extra time to cool off. In addition, he could avoid being ganged up on for a bit longer.

The plan still left him with Kitsune to deal with, though.

"Hey there, stud! Got a minute?" Speak of the devil…

"Hi, Kitsune. Can it wait? I want to change out of these clothes and freshen up." He replied, not breaking his stride across the common room.

"Nup!" She grinned.

Keitaro sighed, but did not stop walking. "Well, come on up."

Scowling at having to get up off the couch, she followed him upstairs, grumbling all the way. Reaching his closed door, she began talking through it. "I just wanna chat about things while we're alone. That's all."

"Go on." He answered, fumbling around in his closet.

Licking her lips, she prepared to interrogate, err, begin a pleasant conversation with the _Kanrinin_. All in the interest of being a friendly tenant, of course. "How did last night go, all alone with your honey?" Her voice was thick with innuendo.

'_Typical Kitsune, straight for the juicy stuff.' _He thought. "Great! We've wanted to get our relationship out in the open for a while. To be able to organise dates without worrying about running into you guys."

'_That's NOT what I'm asking about.' _She fumed. _'Hey, wait a minute!' _"Just what do you mean by that?!"

"If any of you girls had seen us together before yesterday, I would never have heard the end of it." He replied sadly. "Naru and Motoko would have put me into orbit for _'forcing' _my presence upon her. Shinobu would burst into tears, and I would still be heading for L.E.O. because I made her cry. Sarah would tease the crap out of me. _You _would tease the crap out of me, and then blackmail me with it to keep you quiet. Of all of you, I think only Su wouldn't make some sort of fuss."

"HEY! We're not _that _bad." She shouted indignantly, before jumping back quickly as his door opened suddenly. Keitaro had an eyebrow raised in a perfect imitation of Haruka's _'yeah, right!' _look.

"All I'm saying is, it's out in the open now. Mutsumi's happy about that, and truth to be told, so am I." Indicating for her to follow him, he headed towards the roof. "I know it was a surprise for you all, but I think you could understand our need for secrecy. Especially after last night."

Turning his words over in her mind, Kitsune stayed quiet until they were both comfortably seated facing the distant ocean. "I guess…" She agreed hesitantly. "I think what threw us all the most was your sudden change in demeanour. I mean, we all had noticed a slight difference about you a couple of weeks ago, but none of us expected something like _this_!"

Keitaro chuckled. "Well, you can blame Mutsumi for that. Since she and I have been together, I've been looking at my life a bit differently. Growing up, I suppose." He scratched behind his head. "I want to be a better person for her. I want her… to be proud of me." He shrugged. "So, I started trying to get my act together."

"It's working." Kitsune looked at his profile, seeing him with new eyes. _'We've all noticed. He's really trying to be better than he was before. To be more mature. For her.' _A small pang of jealousy made itself known. _'I wonder if he would have done the same for any of us?' _Shaking that thought away before it could take root, she gave him a meditative smile. _'Too late to wonder about what if now, girl. He's taken. Thoroughly. You made the same mistake Naru did, and he found someone else. And making a play for another woman's man is the one line I swore NEVER to cross!' _She frowned, and then brightened, wondering what it would be like to be involved with this new Keitaro. Tucking her knees under her chin, she indulged herself in that daydream for a while.

Realising it had been quiet for too long, Keitaro turned to look at his companion. He noticed the wistful expression on her face. Reaching over, he placed a hand on her shoulder and nudged her gently.

"Hey! You okay?"

Kitsune shook that fantasy away. "Huh? Oh sure. Just thinking, is all."

"Oh. Alright." He replied. "So, any chance you'll ease off and let Mutsumi and I be?" He asked hopefully.

Kitsune tipped her head back and cackled maniacally. "_HAH! _Hell no! Life at Hinata-Sou is about to get more interesting than it has in ages! You honestly think I'm gonna sit back and miss out on all the fun?"

Keitaro's shoulders slumped. _'Ah well, it was worth a shot.'_

Seeing this, the fox brought herself under control. "Seriously though. I'm glad you two found each other, despite what some of the others may think. And while I may try to get a rise out of you both from time to time, I swear that I will not interfere with your relationship." She favoured him with the sweetest smile he had ever seen grace her face. "You're a good man, Keitaro. Make sure you keep her happy."

"I plan to." He grinned back, relieved that Kitsune was ultimately on their side.

Deciding she had said enough on the matter, Kitsune changed subjects. "C'mon, you slacker. Enough lollygagging! You've got chores to do." She slapped him playfully on the shoulder. Groaning, Keitaro rose to his feet and made his way back down the stairs, with her following close behind. As they were about to go their separate ways, she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Kei? If you ever want any ideas as to where to take her out for dinner, or something, come and see me. I'll give you some advice." She smiled at him again, softly. "Free of charge."

Trying to decide if there was a catch to her proposal anywhere, Keitaro finally smiled back and accepted her offer. "Thanks, Kitsune!"

"Your welcome. " She nodded slightly. "See you 'round." With that, she made her way back to her former position on the couch, happy with her good deed for the day. Keitaro watched her saunter off, wondering what other surprises awaited him in the near future.

* * *

For a change, life was reasonably pleasant for the new couple over the next few weeks.

Without trying to appear _too _eager for details, the girls bailed up Mutsumi for a grilling in the hot springs as soon as they could manage. Despite their best efforts, and a few bottles of Kitsune's more expensive sake, Mutsumi deftly sidestepped their questioning by smiling smugly and telling them what they already knew about the _Kanrinin_. Namely, that he was kind, and gentle, and patient. The only details she added to the general pool of knowledge was that he was also a great kisser! Moreover, that his hands were firm yet sensitive when they roamed over her body. The resulting red faces worn by the others after that statement had nothing to do with the temperature of the water in the hot springs.

At the meeting held by the tenants in the attic later to try and dissect what they had learned from Mutsumi, the only thing to emerge was a strong undercurrent of envy.

After she took Keitaro aside for a few words of her own, Motoko kept her distance and restrained herself in his presence. The few times she did feel inclined to take him to task over some slight, real or otherwise, Mutsumi would either be nearby or hear about it soon after. At seeing his girlfriend become so distressed over Keitaro's 'punishments', the samurai soon lost her taste for dishing them out. For the first time, Motoko was feeling real doubt over the validity of her actions. She began meditating more frequently to try and discover the core of this new uncertainty within herself.

Su was Su. Despite this, the kick-to-the-head greetings were curtailed, although not ceased altogether. Testing of new inventions upon his body was also in decline, simply because no-one residing at Hinata-Sou was capable of withstanding a full-force Mutsumi pout.

Even Sarah was not exempt from this. Pranks were harder to enjoy when your target's girlfriend would glare at you disapprovingly after you pulled them.

Put plainly, Mutsumi was gently setting boundaries around Keitaro. She was not jealous of the individual friendships the other residents shared with him. She was not stealing him away from them. She was simply letting them know that she would no longer tolerate their physical assaults upon his person.

Naru avoided the both of them like the plague. Like Motoko, she was re-evaluating her actions over the past year and a half. _Un_like Motoko, Naru did not have an alternative outlet for her feelings such as meditation or practicing with a katana. The resulting stress was putting her on a razor's edge.

The hardest hit by Keitaro and Mutsumi's relationship was still Shinobu. First loves are special, no matter how they end up. She still considered him 'her' Keitaro, despite the age difference. No matter how long ago those two knew each other, or what promises were made between them, _she _had seen the kind man he had grown into as an adult first! Which made running into them kissing each other in the quiet places around Hinata-Sou occasionally a singular torture. And fantasizing about taking Mutsumi's place within the circle of his arms was NOT HELPING! Shinobu understood Keitaro and Mutsumi were trying their best to be subtle about showing their affection for each other around her out of respect for her feelings, and knowing she had zero right to make a fuss over it made the situation all the more bitter.

With all this tension suffocating the inn, something had to give.

* * *

Notes: Three guesses who snaps. T

L.E.O.: Low Earth Orbit. That place Keitaro is punched to from time to time.

* * *


	8. Fault Lines

LOVE HINA: CHANGING HEARTS

By: Tezza1502

Disclaimer: 'Love Hina' is © Ken Akamatsu. Me? I just like to work inside his canvas. No harm meant or intended.

Notes: Woah! Second to last chapter.

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHT: Fault Lines.

Afterwards, everyone reluctantly agreed that it was always going to be Naru that cracked first. Something about the whole situation just made it inevitable.

It began simply enough. Mutsumi, tired of having to tiptoe around her friend's feelings and wanting to reconcile, had suggested a study night in Naru's room. It was her hope that by falling back into that familiar routine, Naru would feel that she was still a part of their lives.

Keitaro was happy to go along with the idea. Despite their stormy history, he valued her highly as a friend. It was time for the harmony of Hinata-Sou to be restored.

Answering through intermediaries, Naru agreed with reservations. Kitsune was a big part of her accepting the invitation. As the fox put it to her;

"Kiddo, all this skulking around in the shadows is turning you into a sour old bitch! Stop sulking and _get out there!_" Much pointing and prodding was also involved.

As inspirational speeches go, it sucked. However, it was enough to get Naru out of her self-imposed exile, with the promise that Kitsune would stop pestering her constantly if she did this.

Before long, Friday night was upon them. Keitaro was doing some bookkeeping his room to whittle away the time until Mutsumi finished her shift at the teahouse. Naru was in Kitsune's room, downing some liquid courage. Tonight would be the first time she was going to allow herself the opportunity to look either of them in the eye since _that _night.

Kitsune was beginning to doubt whether letting her best friend have access to her private stash was such a good idea, in retrospect. Naru was not normally able to hold much alcohol, and she was onto her sixth cup of sake already. She was trying to decide whether to let the others know that she had inadvertently gotten Naru drunk when she heard Mutsumi's soft footsteps coming up the stairs towards Keitaro's room. Naru heard them as well, and decided it was time to join her study-buddies! Getting ponderously to her feet, she stumbled out of her best friend's room to head next door. Kitsune chewed her bottom lip with indecision for a moment before catching up to Naru and guiding her to the floor. "Stay here for a minute, kiddo. You are in no shape to study like this." Thankfully, Mutsumi had made it into Keitaro's room before they had come into the hallway.

Naru hiccuped slightly. "Yeah, but I don' feel nervous 'bout facing 'em no more." She belched quietly into Kitsune's worried face. "Oops! Sorry 'bout that." She grinned sloppily.

Kitsune was deciding whether to ask for the blindfold and cigarette now, before Haruka found out about this. When she had told the older Urashima about tonight, she had been ecstatic that Mutsumi was taking the initiative. "Those three are the key to resolving the tension hanging around Hinata-Sou right now. Once they sort themselves out, everything else will settle back to normal." Haruka had said at the time. Now that Kitsune may have accidentally screwed things up, a firing squad was looking like a very appealing alternative to what Haruka would bring down upon her pert ass.

"Sit! Stay!" She commanded Naru. "I'm going to find some food for you. ANYTHING to soak up some of that sake!"

"WOOF!" Naru slurred obediently in reply to Kitsune's commands. Giving the drunken wreck at her feet one last stern glare, Kitsune padded softly downstairs towards the kitchen as quietly as possible. The less the other tenants knew about this potential catastrophe, the better it would go for her at her court marshal.

'_ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap' _was the only coherent thought running through her head as she tiptoed around the side of the common room, avoiding Shinobu, Sarah and Su watching TV. Motoko was nowhere to be seen. This did not mean that she was not around.

"Kitsune?"

"OH CRAP!" Kitsune leapt three feet into the air in shock as the voice came from behind her left ear. Spinning around, she saw Motoko behind her in a stalking pose. **_"Damnit, how many times have I told you NOT to creep up on me like that!!!!" _**She whispered furiously.

Motoko smirked with amusement. "Why were you sneaking into the kitchen?"

The panic returned as Kitsune remembered her task. "Oh, um, no reason! Just getting some snacks." She replied lamely as she began pulling out handfuls of junk food from the pantry. This did not go unnoticed.

"For who?"

"Just me." She answered innocently.

Motoko looked over the double armful of food with a sceptical eye. "Uh-huh. What's the _real _reason."

Kitsune stopped and sighed. The jig was up. She decided to come clean and tell the truth.

Well, a version of the truth.

"Um, it seems that Naru was so nervous about tonight that she raided my private stash of sake and proceeded to get very drunk. I only just found her sitting in the hallway outside Keitaro's room a few minutes ago, so I decided to try and sober her up a bit by feeding her before she goes in there. No need for her to make a fool out of herself, y'know." The fox explained with a straight face.

"…right. " Motoko knew Kitsune well enough to guess that this was not the entire story, but was willing to let it ride for the greater good. "Take me to her."

Marching back up the stairs, they found Naru with her ear pressed against Keitaro's door, listening intently. Upon hearing the girls approach, she shushed them frantically before re-focusing on whatever was happening on the other side of the door.

Curiosity piqued, Kitsune lay down her burden and followed suit. Motoko sighed and joined in after a moment, not wanting to miss anything. Only to make sure that Keitaro was not doing anything perverted to Mutsumi, of course.

"What's been going on?" Kitsune asked.

"Dunno. Can't hear much. Lots of fumbling around, though." Naru answered.

Kitsune produced three shot glasses from somewhere and handed two of them out. Briefly giving her a strange look, Motoko and Naru followed her lead and placed them against the door. The sound quality improved dramatically.

* * *

"_Hows it coming along back there?" Mutsumi groaned pleasantly._

"_Angles all wrong. I can't get at it properly." Keitaro replied with clear frustration. The sound of a chair squeaking could be heard._

"_Is that better?"_

"_Nope. Damnit!" His voice was strained with effort._

-----------

Kitsune looked wide-eyed at the others. "W.T.F.?"

------------

"_Sorry love. This isn't working for me. Can we try another position?"_

"_Sure! How about I lie on the bed on my tummy?" She offered._

"_Yeah, that might work." The sound of them both moving to his sleeping futon came through the thin wood. A bit of fumbling and grunting was heard clearly. "Ah, much better! I've got a firmer grip now, and the light's brighter on this side of the room, also. I can see what I'm doing." He enthused._

"_That's good. Now, hurry up! Naru will be here soon and I don't want her seeing me like this."_

"_Why not?"_

"_I still have to bathe and get dressed. I don't want to smell like this all night."_

"_Again, why not? Naru's seen you like this before. Heck, she's had to help you out this way in the past, hasn't she? What's the problem?"_

_---------------_

"Anything you'd like to share, Naru?" Kitsune asked, intrigued.

"I have absolutely NO idea what she is talking about!" She replied, going scarlet.

Motoko was going into shock at the implications of what she was hearing. "He has corrupted her with his perversions. I pray for her soul."

_--------------_

_Mutsumi sighed. "It will get in the way of studying. Come on, hurry up!"_

"_Grrr! Be patient." He grumbled._

"_Hey, when are you going to give it to her?" Mutsumi asked excitedly as a thought occurred to her._

"_Later. I want to see how tonight goes first. She won't take what I have to offer if she's not in a good mood." Keitaro replied in a knowing tone._

_---------------_

"Too true. You're a fickle girl, Naru Narusegawa." Kitsune agreed sagely, before bursting into barely stifled giggles. Naru's indignant response to her best friend's innuendo was lost to history as they resumed listening to the busy couple.

_-------------- _

"_Come on and get it done, Kei!" Mutsumi requested impatiently._

"_Pressure not helping! I'm doing it as fast as I can, Mu-chan."_

"_Faster. Faster. This from the man who can outrun the mighty Motoko? Faster!" She taunted affectionately._

_Keitaro grumbled again. "That's enough out of you, young lady. If I want teasing, I'll go find Kitsune." _

_--------------_

"Humph!" Kitsune snorted. "I'll get you for that later, Keitaro."

"Ooh! She can dish it out, but she can't take it." Naru mocked.

_---------------_

_The sound of a hand smacking flesh was heard. "Hey! No spanking. I bruise easily, you know." _

_He sighed with defeat. "I give up! You're just going to have to do it yourself."_

"_Fine! I'll go get Motoko instead. She's had experience with this before. Su talked her through this one night when they were together. Maybe she can do it for me."_

_-------------_

The best friends turned and gawked at Motoko. Any questions were quickly squashed at the sight of her fondling of the hilt of her sword with white knuckles, her expression daring them to comment. They refocused on listening through the door with her menacing snarl echoing in their ears.

-------------

"_You stay there and rest. I'll go find her for you." He grunted as he got to his feet._

"_Okay." She responded, groaning. _

* * *

'_Oh crap! He's coming towards the door!' _The three women panicked at the thought of a naked Keitaro opening the door and finding them there. Scrambling madly away from the doorway, they squeezed their eyes shut in anticipation of the sight about to be presented to them. Well, two of them did.

'_Ain't gonna miss my chance at seeing what Mutsumi's been bragging about.' _Kitsune thought, drooling slightly.

When the door opened, they all squealed slightly, for different reasons.

Focusing on the _Kanrinin _eagerly, Kitsune was quickly disappointed. "Huh?" _'Oh poo!'_

Hearing her confused exclamation, Naru and Motoko slowly opened their eyes also. The sight that greeted them was not what they had been expecting.

"Um, what's the occasion?" Keitaro asked, confused. And fully clothed.

"Wha-? Why aren't you-" Motoko slapped both hands over her tratorous mouth.

"Oh, hi guys!" Mutsumi greeted them enthusiastically from inside the room. She was also fully clothed.

Standing up, they peered into the room, hunting for any sign of what they thought they had been listening to for the last few minutes.

Seeing nothing incriminating, Naru finally found her voice. "Hey, um, we heard some weird sounds coming out of here before. Watcha been doing?" She ventured weakly.

Mutsumi answered. "Really? Oh. Well, Su was down at the teahouse before while I was on my break, and she tied my apron back up for me. Unfortunately, she uses these strange knots from her homeland, Mol-mol. Kei-kun's being trying to unravel it for the last half an hour, without success."

"Yeah. I've never seen anything like them." Keitaro put in.

"And when Kei-kun mentioned your name before, Motoko, I remembered that you told me once that she had showed you the trick to undoing them." She pointed a thumb towards her lower back. "Would you mind? I really did not want to have to cut the string on my apron, just to get it off."

Motoko walked over in a daze. "Sure."

Mutsumi smiled brightly as she felt the apron fall away from her waist. "Thanks! Now I can go have a wash and change. "She folded the apron up and grabbed some clothes that were hanging over the back of a chair. "Su did it up so tight that I couldn't slip out of it. That's probably what you all heard, me struggling with it."

Naru and Motoko looked at each other, and then back at her. "Uh-huh. Absolutely!" They replied at the same time. During this exchange, Kitsune found she could no longer hold in her amusement over the assumptions they had been making as to the couples activities.

"BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Falling to her knees and clutching her ribs, the fox was nothing more than a puddle of laughter rolling around on the floor. Every time she tried to stop, she would catch sight of one of them and start all over again.

Unable and unwilling to stick around to answer the questions she saw in their eyes, Motoko picked up the still-chuckling Kitsune and made a hasty exit. Outside the room, the fox stopped giggling long enough to look at her and comment.

"We are the biggest idiots!"

"…maybe." Motoko answered after some thought, before allowing herself the smallest of smiles. They wandered away, only feeling slightly guilty at leaving Naru behind.

Back in Keitaro's room, Mutsumi had departd to clean up after a long days work, leaving them alone together. This may or may not have been deliberate.

Staring at anything but each other, Keitaro and Naru fidgeted.

"Hey um-"

"Do you-"

They both stopped and looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, before sniggering. A couple of more false starts, and Naru put up her hands finally. "You first." She offered graciously.

Keitaro scratched the back of his head. "Um, all I was going to say was that you can head up to your room now, if you want. I just have to get some things here together, and I'll be up in a minute with Mu-chan."

Frowning slightly at his endearment for Mutsumi, but glad he had not brought up the other night yet, Naru nodded and turned to leave. As she exited, she spotted him reaching for a small package on his desk out of the corner of her eye. _'What was that?' _She thought to herself, before flashing back to the mis-heard conversation. Shaking away the suggestive images forming, she returned to her room to wait.

Before long, the new couple arrived and they settled down to study. Though uncomfortable at first, when an hour had passed and nothing had gone awry, the trio gradually relaxed into the routine that had seem them all through the past year and a half. Presently, Shinobu stuck her head in to offer them some snacks before she retired for the night. Blushing at the praise heaped on her culinary skills as they enthusiastically tucked into the plate of food, Hinata-Sou's resident chef backed out of the room, bowing.

It was only because she was facing the door that Naru glimpsed the slight scowl on Shinubu's face directed at Mutsumi as the young girl departed. While shocked at this display of negative emotion, Naru was also somewhat pleased that someone else living at the inn was as unhappy about the new couple as she was.

Eventually, as was normal for these all-night cram sessions, all three of the ronin fell asleep on each other.

Naru's slumber was not placid. Her subconscious roamed through her inner fears in this state, taking full advantage of the recent events to drive her insecurities into overdrive. Distorted images flashed behind her eyelids. Her guilt over her behaviour towards Keitaro and Mutsumi fuelled these nightmares.

Suddenly, the whole world shook around her. Forcing herself to open her eyes, the first thing that came into view was Keitaro leaning over her, grinning nervously.

"Sorry, Naru. Are you alright? You looked like you were having a nightmare, or something."

"Hunh? Yeah, something like that." She mumbled, not completely awake. In addition, she was starting to feel a hangover from all that sake coming on. "Ow! What do you want?" She asked, a little harsher than she intended.

Sweating slightly and still looking anxious, he gave her a lopsided grin. "It's late. Mutsumi and I are going to bed. And I uh, I want to give you something."

_-I want to give you something-_

_-When are you going to give it to her?-_

_-Later-_

_-Tonight-_

_-going to give it to her-_

_**-Later, tonight-**_

At those words, her eyes flew wide open in shock. Her mind flashed back to the conversation they had overheard earlier that night, with all its associated connotations. All her fears, misconceptions, misunderstandings, and the unwillingness to admit her true feelings towards Keitaro combined with the alcohol she had consumed earlier and the nightmares she so recently had been drowning in all came together at once. Fixing him with a furious glare beyond any he had received from her before, she pulled her fist back and swung with all her might.

"**KEITARO YOU PERVERT!!!!" **

* * *

Notes: Ouch! Poor Kei, never quite catching a break. Hinata-Sou is fractured, possibly beyond repair. Can it be fixed? Should anyone try? And why is everyone sitting on the front steps looking so sad? On a more personal note, it is so cool that everyone has hung around this long. Especially Major Mike Powell III. This person has reviewed EVERY chapter. Pretty damn committed, considering I've been posting almost once a day. Thanks! Same goes for the rest of you who left me a note. It is much appreciated! T

Next up, final chapter: Parting is…

* * *


	9. Parting Is

LOVE HINA: CHANGING HEARTS

By: Tezza1502

Disclaimer: 'Love Hina' is © Ken Akamatsu. I make no claim of ownership in writing this story. I'm just giving my imagination a workout.

Notes: Well, last chapter for this here story, Changing Hearts. Enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER NINE: Parting is…

The next day Keitaro woke up in an unfamiliar room. Rubbing his eyes to clear the sleep from them, the first thing he noticed was Mutsumi resting her head on her arms beside him. Reaching out, he gently stroked her hair until she stirred. She murmured contentedly for a moment before she realised what was going on.

"Kei?" She whispered hesitantly, not sure if she was still dreaming or not.

"Hey, Mu-chan." He croaked back. Working some spit down his throat, he tried again as her head came up. "What happened? The last thing I recall doing was trying to give Naru our gift."

"Kei-kun!" She squealed, latching onto his neck and squeezing.

"Erk! Ack!" He squeaked as his access to oxygen was cut off.

"Oh! Sorry!" Mutsumi leapt back, allowing him to breathe finally. Bursting into tears, she moved in again and smothered his face with kisses.

Despite enjoying it intensely, Keitaro wanted some answers as to how and why he had ended up in this strange room. Gently holding her head with his hands, he pulled her face into focus and stared into her eyes. "Mu-chan, Where am I? And what happened when I tried to give her our gift?"

"We're at the hospital, Kei-kun. As for what happened, well…" She let out a great breath, thinking back to the night before reluctantly.

_**---//FLASHBACK\---**_

_Mutsumi was lying under a tree, wrapped in Keitaro's arms and watching the sun go down after a long day in the park. The remains of their picnic were strewn about the blanket. He had just asked her if she would consent to being his girlfriend. Her reply to his nervous request had been enthusiastic. This moment, in fact the whole day felt like a dream. As her perceptions started to shift, she realised that it was a dream. A dream of a memory._

_She grinned as she remembered that day. Keitaro had finally worked up enough nerve to ask her out. And about time, too! She had been dropping enough hints for the past week that she was ready for him to do so._

_Her grin widened as she felt a hand begin to stroke her hair. Opening her eyes, Mutsumi captured the hand and kissed it lightly. Looking past it, she saw her boyfriend smiling down at her. "We fell asleep again, didn't we." She stated in a dreamy voice._

"_Yeah. All of us." He said pointedly, nodding over to the other side of the low table where Naru was resting her head on her arms and snoring softly. Mutsumi giggled at the sight of the normally self-contained girl twitching and drooling onto her books._

_The couple stayed in each other's arms for a bit, enjoying the type of silence that only happens late at night when most of the world is sleeping. Eventually, Naru began to stir. The other two took this as a sign to wake her and take their leave. Well, it was almost three AM on Saturday morning. Enough ground had been covered this night, and not just the studying part. _

_Standing, Keitaro went to wake their study buddy while Mutsumi began gathering up the reference books scattered about the room. Thus distracted, she paid little attention to the conversation going on behind her._

"_Sorry, Naru. Are you alright? You looked like you were having a nightmare, or something."_

"_Hunh? Yeah, something like that. Ow! What do you want?"_

"_It's late. Mutsumi and I are going to bed. And I uh, I want to give you something."_

"_**KEITARO YOU PERVERT!!!!"**_

_Hearing that dreaded battle-cry, Mutsumi spun around in horror just in time to see Naru punch Keitaro through the window and outside into the night. _

_Naru, bringing herself back under control, saw Mutsumi reach out and pick up something the pervert had dropped as he flew by. The sound of thundering footsteps heralded the entrance of the rest of the household, brought here by Naru's full-volume scream. Spilling into the room, they began demanding to know where Keitaro was and what was going on all at the same time._

"_He-he was going to-" Naru started hesitantly, doubt over what had actually occurred beginning to enter her dazed thoughts. Mutsumi cut her off._

"_We all fell asleep while studying." Her voice was crisp and furious. "It happens sometimes. Keitaro was waking Naru up when she punched him." The older woman fixed her with a penetrating glare. "What I want to know from her is why?"_

"_Wha-what? Y-you saw him! He was-" Naru stammered, unnerved by Mutsumi's attitude._

"_WHY DID YOU HIT MY KEITARO!" She screamed in Naru's face. Everyone present blanched._

"_He-he was being a-a pervert. He was going t-to do something to me." Naru replied, scared by Mutsumi's reaction to her accusation. Doubt filled her completely by now, but she pressed on stubbornly. "H-he was reaching out for me-"_

"_HE WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU THIS!!" Mutsumi sobbed as she lost all patience and threw a small package at her head. Without waiting for a reaction, she sprinted out of the room to go find where her boyfriend had landed._

_As everyone scrambled out of her way, Kitsune spotted what had been thrown at Naru. Picking it up from where it had landed, she looked to her best friend for permission before tearing away the wrapping paper. Opening up the box, she gasped at what she saw inside. Scanning the note that was on top quickly, she closed it again. Handing it to Naru, the fox looked at her pityingly. "Oh Naru, you've really gone and fucked up this time." With that, she turned and walked out of the room, brushing tears away as she went._

_Before she was out of sight, the rest of them had crowded around Naru. She opened the box and removed the note with shaking hands. Leaning over her shoulder, this is what they all read:_

To Naru,

just a little something to remind you that we are still your friends, no matter what fate brings!

Keitaro & Mutsumi XOX

_Underneath this was a silver charm bracelet with charms representing all the tenants at Hinata-Sou attached. There was a banana representing Su, a chefs hat for Shinobu, a katana for Motoko, a notebook for Kitsune (she's a writer, remember, not just a drinker), and a teacup for Haruka. _

_Fastened to it was a nameplate with 'Naru' engraved on it. On one side was a pair of glasses. On the other was a watermelon. The symbology was clear; within her circle of friends, they will always be by her side._

_Clutching the bracelet to her chest she slumped to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably as the realisation of what she had just done hit her. The other girls backed out in a subdued manner, leaving her alone with her misery. _

_She was still curled up there in a pathetic heap when Haruka stormed into the room later on that morning after she had returned from taking her nephew to the hospital._

_**---\END FLASHBACK//---**_

"-and that was how she found her." Mutsumi concluded her tale. "The others filled me in on what happened after I came looking for you when they visited earlier. Haruka said she would pick us up after the doctors give you permission to go home. "

Keitaro lay there lost in thought after Mutsumi finished talking. Fighting back his emotions, he reached out for her. Positioning herself on the bed, she gathered him into her arms and waited for him to speak.

"Where did I land?"

"Out the front of Haruka's shop."

"How long was I unconscious?"

"About sixteen hours." She replied.

His eyes flew open. "It's almost Sunday?"

Mutsumi nodded.

"…this can't keep happening every time I go near her."

Again, Mutsumi shook her head.

"But I don't want to throw her out of Hinata-Sou, either."

No movement from his girlfriend this time.

Keitaro put his hands over his face and wept softly. "Why did it have to come to this?"

Mutsumi kept her opinion to herself and focused on comforting her boyfriend.

* * *

While amazed at Keitaro's quick recovery from a badly bruised jaw plus concussion, the doctor nonetheless decided to keep him another night for observation. After Mutsumi rang Haruka to let her know the situation, she made herself at home by Keitaro's side. Any attempt to separate her from him was firmly but politely ignored.

Sunday morning arrived, and Keitaro was eventually discharged into Haruka's care. The drive back to Hinata-Sou in Seta's van was quiet. No one wanted to be the first to speak, for different reasons.

Soon enough, Hinata-Sou came into sight. Pulling up at the teahouse, they all got out and took in a deep breath. _'There is just something about this place.' _Keitaro thought to himself_. 'Just being here can lift your spirits!'_

Walking the short distance to the base of the steps, Mutsumi noticed the girls waiting there first. Giving her boyfriend a nudge, he looked up to see them. The smile forming on his face faded slowly as he noted their expressions. He also noticed who was not present after a quick headcount. "Where's Naru?" He asked, not sure how he felt about her absence.

Kitsune stood up and walked over to him. "She's gone. She wanted me to make sure you got this." Giving him a brief hug, she handed him an envelope before stepping back and walking up the stairs. The other girls followed. Seeing him start to tremble, Mutsumi and Haruka grabbed an arm each and guided him up the stairs and into the common room. Seating him on the couch, Mutsumi sat beside him while Haruka took up position in the doorway. The rest of the tenants were scattered around the room, watching him.

After staring at it for a few minutes, he slowly opened the envelope and began to read.

* * *

**By the time you are reading this, Keitaro, I will be back home with my parents. And before you start running around like a chicken with its head cut off, I want you to know why I did this. Why I cannot be under the same roof as you any more. And why I am so sorry for the way I've treated you for so long.**

**I have told you loudly what I think is wrong with you, on many occasions. What I never considered was that there might be a problem with me. The way I treat you is wrong. And it's finally been rubbed in my face in such a way that I can no longer ignore it, or say it's your fault somehow.**

**I wish I had the courage to say these things to your face, Keitaro. To apologize to both you and Mutsumi for my childish behaviour. Because that's what it was, me behaving like a child.**

**Maybe I was jealous of you for deciding to grow up and move on, leaving me behind. Maybe I felt abandoned by someone I had come to consider a friend, possibly more. I don't know. Or maybe I'm not ready to admit it to myself yet.**

**After you**

**After I attacked you the other night, Haruka nearly killed me when she found out. (I have a nice shiner over my left eye as I write this. Don't be angry with her. I deserved it, and worse.)**

**When she calmed down enough to talk without biting the ends off her cigarettes, she chewed me out for a few hours. The end result being that she finally hammered home what a total bitch I've been this past year or so. And not just to you.**

**After she was done with me, Kitsune came in and had her turn at working me over verbally. (I got the feeling later that they ALL wanted a piece of me, but those two pulled rank.)**

**When I finally got a word in edgeways, I agreed with all the names she was calling me and asked her to help me pack. I was running away. I was going home.**

**I can't do this anymore. I can't ignore how I feel about you. And I don't want to try and force myself between you two. Which I feel that I would attempt, sooner or later. I've tried once already. Ask your aunt.**

**I love you, Keitaro.**

**There, I've admitted it. If only in writing. Despite your faults, you are the only man I know around my age who ever wanted to get close to me for the right reasons, not just to get into my pants. And I found I didn't know how to deal with the emotions you stirred within me. So I lashed out. You know the rest.**

**I love you, and I want you, but I can't have you. Not now. And I can't be around you until I sort this out within myself. Otherwise, what happened will happen again. And again.**

**Do you understand? I need time away from you, from here, to sort myself out. If I stay, I will cause everyone pain by causing YOU pain. Because we all have feelings for you Kei.**

**ALL of us.**

**I am still going to try for Toudai. That hasn't changed. But I am going to transfer to another cram school. And I ask you not to come and visit my parents place, looking for me. When I am ready, I will come to you and beg for foriveness from the BOTH of you. Because I have wronged Mutsumi also by my actions.**

**So, this is it. I'm sorry for treating you like shit Kei. More than you may ever believe. Because you were always there for me when I needed you. And I never said how much that meant to me. When I see you again, I will be ready to do that. Because I will stay away until I AM ready.**

**With all the heart that I never showed you Kei, I say again…**

**I love you. And I will accept whatever level of friendship you wish to grant me when I see you again, If any. Goodbye.**

**Naru Narusegawa**

**P.S.: When you finish reading this, I left something with Kitsune. Ask her for it. N.**

* * *

Reading it twice through and noting where her tearstains had warped the paper, Keitaro felt he had been granted access to Naru's true feelings towards him at long last. Sighing, he refolded the letter and slipped it back within the envelope. Fighting to contain his emotions, he looked expectantly over at Kitsune. Heaving a sigh of her own, she got up and walked over to them. Stopping front of them, she reached into her pocket and withdrew something small. Grabbing Keitaro's hand first, she placed it in his palm before folding his fingers over it. She repeated the action with Mutsumi.

"She told me that when she comes back, if you still want her to be your friend you will know what to do with these." Kitsune fought hard to keep her expression neutral. This would have to be their decision. She did not have the right to interfere. Not this time.

Keitaro and Mutsumi looked at each other for the longest time, before exchanging an understanding smile between them.

In their hands were the charms they had given her, representing them both.

-THE END-

* * *

-EPILOGUE-

Time flowed. Seasons passed.

Shinobu was out sweeping the front steps when someone cleared their throat behind her. Squealing, she spun around to see who had startled her. She squealed even louder when the identity of her visitor became apparent.

"NARU!!"

"Hi Shinobu. Is he home?" Naru Narusegawa inquired nervously. Facing her mistakes was going to be rough, especially after all this time. Swallowing uneasily, she followed an excited Shinobu inside Hinata-Sou to face her former housemates. Whatever the outcome, she was prepared to accept it.

She was ready.

* * *

* * *

Notes: once again, my inability to end a damn fic decently has come to the fore. I plan to come back to this once more ideas occur to me. Having said that, the people awaiting movement on my Evangelion stuff can attest to my ability to be distracted easily. So, no promises. Plus I want to watch the specials before I make any decisions about this fic. Thanks to those who decided to follow this, you all make it worthwhile. T

* * *


End file.
